Moments Revised
by KaibaGirl17
Summary: The Arclights haven't been a real family for a long time. But what happens when Trey's severely injured in a fight? AU. Takes place after Trey talks with Yuma in episode 46.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Alright, there were a lot of errors scattered all throughout the chapters of Moments so I took the liberty of revising and republishing them. The chapters are now longer, better, and they now come with more surprises in each one. I hope everyone reading agrees and enjoys this revision.

Disclaimer: I didn't own Yu-Gi-Oh and I certainly don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, Kazuki Takakhasi owned the original Yu-Gi-Oh and Shin Yoshida owns Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal.

...

Trey could no longer hear the boys' laughter or hear their taunts and jeers as they knocked him down every time he tried to climb to his feet. He could no longer hear the sounds of his bones breaking as his hands and right arm were all jumped on again and again.

Everything was blurry and searing pain coursed through every fiber of the pink-haired teen's being, especially his arm and hands. But he couldn't think about that right now. He had to get home. He had to get back to his family. He had to!

As he took another step forward, the fifteen-year-old fought the urge to scream in anguish. But before a sound could escape his lips, he slipped on a patch of ice and crashed to the snow-covered ground. As his small frame hit the ground, blood fell from his nose and the numerous cuts that marred his pale skin, staining the once pure, white snow crimson.

The youngest Arclight gasped and struggled to go on. His only goal, his only thought, was to get back to his family. He was afraid to stop, afraid that if he did, he would black out and never regain consciousness.

"I have to get home," he whispered to himself as he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. "I have to get back to my family...They're probably already very upset that I'm not home yet."

...

"Has Trey returned yet?" Quinton asked Quattro, who had been admiring the complete Heart Piece that guaranteed him a spot in the World Duel Carnival finals.

"How the hell should I know?" the younger Arclight snapped, his crimson irises burning into his brother's dark blue ones. "I didn't realize I was supposed to babysit him today."

"He _is_ our brother," Quinton said, his dark blue eyes narrowing slightly. "And Quattro, you might want to watch yourself with that temper before it gets you in trouble."

Quattro took a step back and glared at his older brother.

"Look, I already get enough of that around here from Vetrix," he growled. "I don't need it from you too, Quinton."

"Mind your attitude," Quinton warned, walking past his brother.

Quattro rolled his eyes and stormed to his room.

"What do they think I am Trey's keeper?" he grumbled to himself as he slammed the door and collapsed on his bed. "He's fifteen years old; he should be able to look after himself by now."

...

"Trey hasn't come back yet, has he, Quinton?" Vetrix asked, momentarily ignoring the assorted cartoons that he had just been watching seconds before.

"No, he hasn't," Quinton answered. "He should have been back by now. He's never been late before. I can't imagine what could be keeping him."

Before the silver-haired duelist could say anything else, Vetrix turned his attention back to the cartoons and appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the antics of what looked to be a living balloon playing with its' bow tie.

"Too funny!" the mask-wearing man-child giggled, clapping his hands and kicking his feet.

Quinton could scarcely believe that this had once been his father. Byron Arclight had been the polar opposite of the replacement that now sat before Quinton. And despite his calm exterior, the eldest Arclight felt that it was very awkward that his father was now much younger than he was. And he was sure that his younger brothers felt just as awkward about it. After all, Vetrix was even younger than Trey, who at fifteen years old, happened to be the youngest of them all.

Trey...

It secretly troubled Quinton that his youngest brother still hadn't returned yet. He had requested to meet with a boy named Yuma Tsukumo. He had been certain that the boy had been the reason that he and Quattro had lost their duel against him and Kaito Tenjo. Trey had promised he would be home after he spoke to Yuma. So where was he? What could have possibly happened that would keep him from returning? Trey was always completely servile when it came to Vetrix or Quinton telling him to do something. Sometimes he listened to Quattro, but not as often as he did his oldest brother and his warped father. And Vetrix had assured the eldest of the Arclight brothers that Trey would return due to the love and loyalty he felt to his family.

_'Where are you?_' Quinton asked silently. _'You've never done anything like this, Trey. This isn't like you at all. Where are you, little brother?_'

...

Trey had managed to pull himself up with one arm and was now once again heading for home.

"I can't..." he panted, slumping against a tree before the tree hit his right arm, earning a pained yelp from the injured boy and forcing him back up so that he could continue his trek home. "I'm too tired...I can't keep..."

Suddenly, his home came into view, restoring hope in the young boy.

_'I'm going to make it_,' Trey smiled for the first time since his ordeal with those boys. _'Just a few more steps...I'm almost there!_'

He made it to the door, rested his hand on the knob and turned it, trying to ignore the pain in his hand. Now there was no doubt that it was broken too...

He couldn't do it, it made his hands hurt too much to turn the knob. So the boy resorted to knocking against the door with his left elbow. They had to hear him inside.

...

"Alright already! I'll go look for him!" Quattro snarled. "Damn!"

Muttering a string of curses under his breath, the red-and-yellow-haired duelist stormed to the front door.

"Trey's going to have some serious explaining to do when I find him," Quattro fumed as he reached for the door. "Why he decided to take his sweet time coming back-"

His hand hadn't yet touched the doorknob when he heard a gentle knock.

Stunned, Quattro looked through the glass to see who was on the other side of the door. He was prepared to fight when he saw the intruder's face. A face covered with dried blood and bruises…and tears…wait…he knew that face…

"Trey!" the middle Arclight brother's scarlet eyes widened in surprise as he opened the door. "What are you-?"

"They...I didn't...I don't..." Trey mumbled as he leaned against the doorframe, trying to catch his breath.

"What are you talking about?" Quattro asked, still in shock at the condition his little brother was in. "What happened to you? Trey, answer me!"

"They...my head...my arm...my hands…I don't...feel..."

Trey's emerald green eyes rolled up into his head as the youngest Arclight fell to the floor.

"Trey!"

The last thing the pinknette saw was the look of horror on Quattro's face before everything went black...

...

...

Well, that was the first revised chapter. And once again, I will thank you not to leave any flames.

And now I'd like to make an offer: the more reviews each chapter receives, the faster this story will be updated.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here is chapter 2. I thank Jean, Durbe the Barian, The Little Black ROse, Guest, Akiza Blackmore, Girl with the Fireheart, and Mtvlion2003 for all of the reviews on chapter 1. Now enjoy this brand new, incredibly long chapter.

Disclaimer: I am not Shin Yoshida, so logically I can't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, which is good because I don't own either of those things, and I have no intention of dealing with this in the courts.

...

The dark blue eyes of Quinton Arclight watched as a shooting star raced across the night sky. He couldn't help but remember back when he and his brothers were children and would make wishes on such stars. But now, he no longer saw any point in trivial things like that. There was only one way to make things work out for you in life: by achieving your goals yourself, not by wishing for them.

The eldest Arclight stared out the window, his eyes focused on the outside world hazed over by the window pane. The snow still showed no signs of going away anytime soon. In fact, from the looks of the sky, more was probably on the way.

Only a few feet away from the window, tucked safely into a hospital bed, slept Trey, the youngest of the three Arclight brothers.

The moment Quinton shifted his cold gaze to Trey, his normally icy eyes softened slightly. Though the twenty-year-old Number Hunter nearly always maintained a cold, reserved, and stoic demeanor, he still cared a great deal for his two little brothers. That had become evident today when he found out that Trey had been attacked by a gang of boys. Quattro had been furious, demanding to know who dared to attack the fifteen-year-old boy. Though Quinton had not voiced his anger as intensely as his younger brother, he was just as outraged and vowed to make the people responsible pay. No matter what he had to do, no matter how long it took, Trey's attackers would answer for what they had done.

The Arclights were very familiar with the concept of revenge. They were still in the process of preparing to take revenge on Dr. Faker for what he had done to the once happy family.

Still keeping his eyes on his sleeping brother, Quinton slowly made his way to the younger boy's bedside. Messy pink curls sprawled out beside Trey's head on his pillow.

Quinton couldn't help but smile ever so slightly at the gentle, relaxed expression gracing his kid brother's porcelain features, accented by the pale moonlight streaming in from the large window.

With uncharacteristic delicacy, the silver-haired duelist brushed Trey's bangs away from his eyes. His eyes narrowed as they landed on the bandage covering Trey's forehead. Whoever had attacked him had left several bruises on his face and a cut beneath his bangs.

Quinton's azure eyes once again glanced at the calm, serene expression on Trey's face as the younger boy rested, despite the pain that he was most likely in due to the number of injuries that he had sustained. The expression on his face seemed to contradict the scratches, bruises, and assorted bandages, finger splints, and the casts encasing the younger brother's right and left hands.

Quinton had suggested they take the youngest member of their family to the hospital but Vetrix wouldn't hear of it. Quattro had of course flown off the handle and tossed around a few choice phrases. Quinton, who had been tasked with taking Trey to his room and caring for him, had sneaked out and made sure that his brother's injuries received the proper medical attention.

He didn't dare ask for Vetrix's permission and he knew that once Vetrix found out that one of his sons had gone against his orders, and Quinton knew he would find out, he would be very angry. But Quinton had decided it would be better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

After the doctors had set Trey's broken bones, they confirmed what Quinton had already figured: Trey did in fact have a concussion. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but the doctors had insisted that the youngest of the Arclights be woken up at least every thirty minutes in order to make sure that he still remembered where he was and the identity of the person waking him up. If he did not remember either of these things or if he didn't wake up at all, then he would need to be taken back to the hospital or his brain could possibly hemorrhage and he could die if the damage was too bad.

Though it was unlikely, Quinton still did not want to leave anything involving his injured brother to chance. So he decided that it would be best if Trey just stayed in the hospital for the night. Again, better to ask for Vetrix's forgiveness than his permission.

"Trey...wake up," Quinton whispered, shaking the younger boy's shoulders slightly.

At first, Trey didn't respond, so Quinton shook his thin shoulders a little harder and was rewarded when his little brother's emerald-colored eyes slowly opened.

"What's going on, Quinton?" the fifteen-year-old asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily with his left arm.

When Quinton saw the bone-colored casts covering both of Trey's arms and the finger splints on both of his hands, the silver-haired Number Hunter couldn't help but grimace slightly.

"What's wrong?" Trey asked, an expression of concern on his face.

"Nothing," Quinton answered quickly. "Nothing's wrong. Just...go back to sleep."

"Okay, brother," Trey smiled tiredly before his eyes closed again.

...

Quattro was beyond furious. How dare anyone attack his brother!

"When I find who did it, they're in for serious hell!" the scar-faced teen growled, his expression one of undisguised rage. "Do they realize who they're screwing with?"

"Your attitude does concern me, Quattro," Quinton said as he entered the room.

"Well excuse me for wanting to make the _kisamas_ who hurt our brother pay!" Quattro snapped. "Or would you rather me send them flowers and chocolates along with an invitation to attack him again?"

"You know perfectly well that that is not what I meant," Quinton answered coldly.

Quattro was about to reply when Vetrix let out a high-pitched giggle, clapped his hands, and kicked his legs in a childish fashion as yet another cartoon character did something stupid.

"Perhaps I put too much dependence on Trey," the man-child said after his giggling fit had passed. "Maybe he isn't as strong as I thought he was."

The two brothers said nothing.

"It's a shame really," Vetrix smirked. "He seemed like he might have actually had potential."

Quattro growled and glared at the person who had once been his father.

"You-!"

"Quattro!" Quinton gave his brother a warning look, but Quattro was too angry to notice or care.

"Trey was attacked and you don't even care?!" Quattro snarled, his crimson irises aflame with fury. "He always does whatever you tell him without question and this is the thanks he gets?!"

"He _does_ do as he's told," Quinton agreed. "It's a shame that the same cannot be said for you, Quattro."

Quattro responded with a rude hand gesture consisting of a single raised finger before turning and storming out of the room.

Quinton sighed in frustration and Vetrix turned his attention back to the assortment of cartoons.

...

Quattro opened the door to Trey's room and slowly entered. The hospital staff didn't know he was there and he planned to keep it that way.

Trey was still sleeping peacefully. The pro-duelist almost didn't want to bother his little brother, but it was time to wake him up again. Just to make sure he would respond. And Quinton had once again returned to Vetrix so there was no knowing when he would be back.

"Trey, wake up," Quattro said, shaking his brother's shoulders.

Trey's eyes slowly opened and he smiled weakly at his older brother.

"Hi, Quattro," he said.

"Okay, you still recognize me," his brother stated. "Do you know where you are?"

"I'm at home?"

"Close, you're in the hospital."

Trey blushed slightly.

"Well you did get hit in the head pretty hard so it makes sense that you'd be a little off,"Quattro snorted. "Now I'm going to ask you about the guys that jumped you, did they take any of your Number cards?"

"No," Trey answered. "No, I left them back at home."

"Good," Quattro said. "The last thing you'd need to do is lose one of those."

"I'm sorry, brother," Trey whispered, looking down.

"And just what the hell are _you_ sorry for?" Quattro asked. "You didn't lose any Numbers so what is there for you to be sorry for?"

"For not being strong enough to fight back,"Trey answered, dreading his sadistic older brother's inevitable anger.

Quattro sighed and stood up.

"Well, you still know who I am and now you know where you are. So, I'm going," he said. "And they'll regret messing with us. I'll make sure of it."

As the seventeen-year-old Arclight turned to leave, Trey's cast-covered hand shot forward, touching Quattro's wrist.

"What do you think you're doing?" Quattro demanded. He was about to snatch his hand away when he saw the look on his brother's face. Trey didn't have to say a word; Quattro knew at once that his little brother was pleading for him to stay.

The red-and-yellow-haired duelist sighed, not wanting to make his brother feel even worse than he already did, if that was even possible. So, he allowed his hand to stay where it was.

"I'm sorry," Trey apologized. "It's just...I'm so sore...everything just…hurts so much…"

"It's fine," Quattro grunted, sliding his hand under his younger brother's and gripping it loosely, careful to watch Trey's broken bones.

"Quattro...will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" Trey requested meekly. "Please?"

"Fine," Quattro answered.

Trey noticed the lack of reluctance in his older brother's voice and smiled slightly.

"Thank you, brother," the teenage pinknette whispered.

'_No problem, little brother_,' was the response in Quattro's mind.

"Go to sleep, Trey," was the response that came out of his mouth.

Trey nodded and his emerald-green eyes slowly closed and the youngest of the Arclight brothers once again entered the realm of sleep.

...

...

So, what did everyone think of this new chapter? Feel free to let me know and if you have any requests, I'll see if I can put said requests in a chapter or not. And as I said in the previous chapter, the more you review, the faster I'll update.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Well here is chapter 3. Thanks a lot to Durbe the Barian, Mtvlion2003, Girl with the Fireheart, The Little Black ROse, Akiza Blackmore, and Guest for all of the reviews on Chapter 2. I hope everyone enjoys this brand new chapter. Oh, and happy 4th of July, everyone.

Disclaimer: Hmm...last I checked I'm not Shin Yoshida, I mean for starters I'm a girl and I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, he does.

...

_**WARNING: Contains a couple of slight tear-jerkers here and there throughout the chapter.**_

...

Quinton entered Trey's room to find Quattro sitting on a chair beside Trey's bed, holding Trey's hand, the older's fingers entwined with the younger's, his elbows propped on his knees and his head resting on his free hand. His scarlet eyes were closed and his tawny bangs had fallen into his face.

Trey opened his eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the dim light. He looked to his left to see Quattro asleep in a chair next to his bed, holding his hand.

Trey smiled. It was rare for Quattro to do something like this, given his brutal and sadistic nature. Unless he was putting on a cleverly fabricated smile for his fans, he almost never showed any type of friendly behavior whatsoever, not even for his brothers.

"I see you're awake," a voice said, pulling Trey out of his thoughts.

The fifteen-year-old Arclight turned to see his oldest brother standing in the doorway.

"Hi, Quinton," he spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I came to see how you were doing," Quinton said, a hint of worry in his voice.

Trey smiled. Even though Quinton was often cold and reserved, he still cared for his family. So did Trey. After all, that was why they were so determined to take revenge on Dr. Faker for tearing their family apart.

"How are you feeling, Trey?"

"Why the hell do you care?" a cold voice rasped before the pinknette could answer.

Quinton and Trey turned to see that Quattro was now awake.

"When did you decide to start caring about Trey?" the middle Arclight growled at his older brother. "All that time when Vetrix was spouting off about Trey, I defended him. You did nothing!"

Quinton gave his younger brother a stern look.

"Your blowing up and displaying obscene hand gestures is hardly what one would call a defense," he replied coolly.

Quattro snatched his hand from Trey.

"You're always doing that!" he snarled at the older Number Hunter. "You're always trying to pin _everything_ on me! Well, I am _**SO**_ sorry we can't all be perfect like you!"

"You refuse to take responsibility for your own actions and yet here you are ready to attack me for something that you have no need to be upset about," Quinton sighed, closing his eyes for a moment or two.

"THAT TEARS IT!" Quattro roared, his red eyes filled with undisguised fury.

"Quattro…Quinton…Please..." Trey whimpered, causing both of his brothers to turn to face him. "Don't fight…"

Quattro saw tears beginning to gather in Trey's eyes and in a moment, every bit of the heat of his fury dissipated.

Quinton's eyes widened ever so slightly in alarm. Though he had gotten upset before, it had been a long time since he had ever seen his youngest sibling cry.

"Quattro, I need to speak with you outside," the eldest Arclight brother said, the tone in his voice warning Quattro not to argue.

Quattro wanted to argue anyway, unwilling to give in until he won the confrontation, but he could tell that his little brother was scared that things would go to hell in no time. So, with a reluctant sigh, the scar-faced duelist followed his older brother out of the room.

Trey sank further into his pillows. He hated when his older brothers fought. Yes they had gotten into a spat every now and again but ever since Vetrix had returned and the family set their plan for revenge into motion, things had gotten even worse. Now the only time Quattro and Quinton ever talked to each other was when they were yelling at each other. Well, Quattro yelled, Quinton rarely, if ever, lost his cool.

But it still upset Trey to know that his family had once been happy but now the only thing the rest of them could think about was their desire to take revenge on Dr. Faker.

...

"Quattro, do you never stop to think that when you allow your temper to run amok, the effect it could have on Trey?" Quinton sighed impatiently.

"There you go again, trying to pin everything on me again," his younger brother growled, his blood-red eyes flashing dangerously. "Don't you think that bothers him too? Do you think he likes you trying to start something?"

"You were the one attempting to start a fight, not me," Quinton insisted.

"SHUT UP!" Quattro yelled, his outstretched hand reaching out and nearly striking Quinton across the face. But the older Arclight grabbed his wrist.

"See? This proves it," he stated calmly, his eyes on Quattro's now subdued arm.

Quattro yanked his arm out of his sibling's grip, his face livid.

"I HATE YOU!" the seventeen-year-old duelist snarled, storming off angrily. "YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T CARE! I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE DEAD MEN WHO HURT TREY! YOU CAN JUST GO KISS VETRIX'S FEET LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO!"

Quinton was stunned. He and Quattro had often fought, but this was the first time that his little brother had ever told him that he hated him.

...

Trey wiped his eyes and tried to stifle his sobs. He had heard every word that his brothers had said. Quattro had never gotten that angry before and he had certainly never told Quinton that he hated him.

The door opened and in walked Quinton, an unreadable expression gracing his features.

"What happened?" Trey asked before he could stop himself. How could he have asked such a stupid question? It was obvious what had happened.

Quinton said nothing, he merely walked over to Trey's bed and sat on the edge of the mattress next to Trey.

With great effort, the fifteen-year-old crawled toward his oldest brother and climbed into his lap.

Quinton's unreadable expression became one of surprise as Trey curled up into a ball in his lap

"I don't hate you," Trey whispered, laying his head on Quinton's chest.

Quinton still said nothing.

"Please say something," his brother pleaded, his emerald eyes not leaving Quinton's azure ones.

Quinton slowly wrapped his arms around his brother and tilted his head to the side so that it came to rest atop Trey's.

Trey snuggled closer to Quinton. He felt like he was a child again. Well, technically he was still a child; he was only fifteen. But he hadn't been permitted to act like a child in quite some time. And with his older brothers acting so cold and brutal, he had thought that the family he once knew was gone forever. But now as he lay in Quinton's arms, he felt like maybe there was still a shred of his once happy family.

The two just stayed there, silent. To Trey, it seemed like much later when his brother finally broke the silence.

"It's been...quite some time...hasn't it?" Quinton asked. "Since we've...done something...like this..."

Trey had nodded off for a moment but was still able to understand what his brother was asking him.

"Yeah...it really has..." he said thoughtfully. "I mean we've just been focusing on-"

"We have," Quinton interrupted. "But it's the only way to make that monster pay for what he did to us."

Trey sighed. There was no arguing with this fact.

"I guess you're going to go back to Vetrix soon," he said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice as he glanced up at Quinton.

The silver-haired Number Hunter looked down at him for a moment before sighing.

"Well...if he wants to see me, he'll have to come and get me," he said after a few moments.

Trey looked dumbfounded. Had his sibling said what he thought he said?

"Did you just say...?" Trey began, too shocked to continue.

"Yes," Quinton answered, looking a little surprised himself. "Trey, you're injured and since Quattro's out Heaven only knows where, someone has to keep an eye on you?"

"I'm not a baby," Trey pouted, though he was secretly delighted that one of his brother's was going to stay there with him. Quinton had even suggested that he might defy Vetrix! And he never defied any orders from the psychotic, cartoon-obsessed man-child.

"Who's the older brother here?" Quinton asked, his pale eyebrows arched.

"You," Trey grumbled playfully.

Exactly," Quinton said, the faintest hint of a smile on his face.

The eldest of the Arclight brothers had missed spending time with his younger brothers. Especially after all that had happened. Though he would never admit it, Quinton sometimes still suffered from nightmares of losing his two brothers. Just like that horrible day they were taken away from him...

(_Flashback_)

"Don't let them take us!" Quattro had yelled as the woman from the orphanage pulled him away.

"Big brother!" Trey had cried out, tears falling from his emerald-colored eyes.

Quinton wanted so badly to run to grab his little brothers' hands and tell the woman that they were staying with him.

But he didn't. He stood there, watching them be led away, his hands balled into fists.

(_Flashback ends_)

'_There's no knowing what that orphanage and the people there did to my kid brothers_,' Quinton said to himself.

"I'm so...tired..." Trey murmured, fighting to keep his eyes open. "I can't even...keep my eyes...open anymore..."

"Then you should rest," Quinton replied softly, stroking his brother's pink curls.

"But I..." Trey was too exhausted to protest anymore. Slowly, his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.

...

Trey came back to reality two short hours later with his entire body feeling sore and a splitting headache, but at the same time feeling amazingly comfortable.

The teenage pinknette yawned softly and slowly opened his eyes to find that Quinton was still holding him.

Trey shifted slightly, careful to keep from waking his older brother. He had looked so tired when he watched Trey fall asleep earlier, so it was good that he was getting some sleep.

But where was Quattro? Why hadn't he come back yet? Was he that angry at Quinton?

At that moment, Quinton drew a deep breath and his dark blue eyes opened and glanced down at his little brother.

"When did you wake up?" he asked quietly.

"Just a minute or two ago," Trey answered.

Suddenly, the youngest Arclight groaned and began rubbing his head.

"Are you alright?" Quinton asked, a look of concern on his normally expressionless face.

"Just a little headache," Trey said, smiling weakly. "It's not that bad though."

He didn't want to worry his brother, not with everything else that was going on with the family. They were trying to get their revenge, Quattro had disappeared, and Trey still hadn't faced and defeated Yuma. The last thing the teenage Arclight wanted was for his brother to worry about a little headache.

...

Quinton slowly laid his brother's head back onto the pillows before walking out of the room for just a moment. Even he needed to take a bathroom break from time to time.

'_I'll be right back_,' Quinton told himself. '_I'm only going for a minute or two.'_

So, with one last glance at his sleeping brother, the silver-haired Arclight left the room, closing the door behind him gently.

"I see you're back," he said when he saw Quattro waiting outside.

"Yeah, I'm back," his brother replied.

"Quattro, we need to talk," Quinton sighed.

"I agree," Quattro said.

"Our arguing is only upsetting Trey," the red-and-yellow-haired duelist explained. "And right now, I think he has more than enough to deal with without worrying about the two of us going at it all the time."

Quinton said nothing, knowing that if he pointed out that Quattro was usually the one wanting to fight, it would simply lead to yet another argument, which would upset Trey if he were to wake up and hear or see his two older brothers fighting again.

"So, we should refrain from doing such," the older Arclight said.

...

Trey slowly opened his eyes and sat up, trying to ignore the splitting pain in his head. But it was hard to ignore his blurring vision.

But he could hear his brothers talking. He didn't want them to fight again!

Suddenly, he could feel himself falling. Then everything went black...

...

I hoped you enjoyed this and I might consider killing Trey next chapter.

With that being said, please feel free to review.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Alright, here is a brand new, angst-packed chapter for you. Thank you to Girl with the Fireheart, Akiza Blackmore, Jean, Durbe the Barian, The Little Black ROse, Mtvlion2003, and Guest for all the reviews on chapter 3. So, without further ado, I present chapter 4. Enjoy, everyone.

Disclaimer: I am not Shin Yoshida so therefore I possess no legal claims on any characters of Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any other aspects of said franchise.

...

"Easy, Trey," Quinton instructed.

Trey groaned as he eased down onto his bed, slowly and gently lying his head on the pillow.

His head still hurt from his fall earlier. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious; he just remembered collapsing while trying to prevent his brothers from fighting again when he suddenly blacked out. Now, he was laying back down in his hospital bed, being tucked in by his oldest brother Quinton while Quattro checked him over to see if there were any injuries that the two older Arclight brothers had missed.

"Please promise you won't fight anymore," Trey pleaded with his older siblings.

"We won't," Quinton promised. "Just try not to get out of bed until you're able to."

"We don't want you getting hurt again," Quattro put in, trying not to stare at the large, dark purple bruise above Trey's left eye. "And if you stay in bed and relax, you'll heal faster."

"I'm sorry," the pink-haired teenage boy said, looking at his cast-covered hand.

"It's alright," Quinton said gently.

Trey sighed and yawned.

"I'm sorry, Quinton," he whispered.

Quinton's pale eyebrows arched in confusion.

"For what?" the silver-haired Arclight asked.

"I know you're mad at me," Trey said in a tiny voice, averting his eyes back to his cast-encased arm.

"What are you talking about, Trey?" Quinton questioned. "I'm not mad at you. No one is mad at you."

Trey turned to Quattro, who was standing beside Quinton. His face was completely free of any emotion. His scarlet eyes locked on to Trey's green ones.

'_Here it comes_' Trey braced himself.

Quattro shook his head.

Trey was stunned. How were his older brothers not even the least bit angry with him?

"Why would you think we were mad at you?" Quattro asked.

"I..." Trey tried to hide his embarrassment.

"Trey, you can tell us," Quinton said, gently closing his hand around that of his brother, once again taking care to watch the broken fingers on the hand.

"I thought you'd be furious with me..." Trey admitted. "Or at the very least angry at me..."

"Why?" Quattro inquired, sitting down beside his brothers.

..."Because..." Trey's voice trailed off. This was too hard...

"Damn it, would you just tell us already?" Quattro demanded.

"Watch it, Quattro," Quinton warned, casting his younger brother a hard look.

"You two aren't going to fight again, are you?" Trey asked.

"No," his older brothers answered in unison.

Trey let out a sigh of relief.

Quattro looked down, unable to think of anything to say. He wasn't good at expressing his more affectionate emotions, not even to his brothers. With the family focusing on everything else, the middle Arclight brother didn't really feel the need to bother with anything as trivial as emotions. But right now, his little brother was hurting and he needed him. And Quinton. He needed both of them to be there for him.

...

"No! Please don't do it!" Trey screamed.

The youngest Arclight squirmed as Quattro held on to him and Quinton held out his left arm, gripping his wrist firmly to keep the arm from moving too much.

"He's trypanophobic, Quinton explained to the nurse.

"Trey...Trey...Hold still, damn it!" Quattro growled, struggling to hold on to his little brother. "If you don't stop squirming, that needle's going shatter and get stuck in your arm. Then they'll have to cut your arm open to get it out."

Trey let out a blood-curdling screech and thrashed even harder in a desperate attempt to break free.

"Trey, stop it!" Quattro shouted, his face twisted with fury and frustration as he all but jumped onto Trey and pinned him down.

Quinton glared at the scar-faced duelist before he turned his attention back to Trey.

"Trey, she has to give you the vaccination," the twenty-year-old Number Hunter said. "It'll help you."

"N-no!" his youngest brother yelled. "I'D RATHER BE SICK THAN GET A NEEDLE!"

"Don't make me do this, Trey," the eldest brother warned. "I don't want to, but if you don't calm down, I won't have a choice."

Trey continued to struggle against his brothers' attempts to calm him down.

Quinton sighed and his crest appeared and emitted a soft blue glow.

"Stop struggling, Trey," he ordered softly, his dark blue eyes staring into Trey's big, bright green ones.

Trey's eyes bulged with terror as his trembling ceased. His brother had never used his crest on him before. Quinton's crest had stopped him from fighting, but it didn't stop him from feeling the sharp stab of pain as the needle pierced his skin. Maybe it was meant to help him, but it felt more like it was hurting him.

...

After the nurse left, the two older Arclights set to caring for their younger brother. Trey was still shaken up by the needle incident, as evidenced by the way he was trembling and panting.

"I'm sorry I had to do that to you," Quinton said as he placed a blanket over Trey.

Trey slowly laid his head back on his pillows and closed his eyes, trying to relax.

"It's okay, Quinton," the pinknette whispered. "I know you were only doing it to help me."

"Everything will be alright, Trey," Quinton whispered to his youngest brother, taking his hand. "I promise."

Quattro nodded.

"You'll be fine," he said, taking Trey's other hand. "We'll...take you home soon."

Trey smiled ever so slightly.

"Are you warm enough?" Quinton asked.

Trey nodded, unsure of what to say; it had been a long time since his brothers had paid this much attention to him.

"You know...you never did tell us why you thought we were mad at you," Quattro told his younger brother.

Trey fidgeted uncomfortably.

"You can tell us, Trey," Quinton said, squeezing his brother's hand encouragingly but ever so gently.

"I...thought you were mad because...I'm not like you, Quinton," Trey said, biting his lower lip. "Or Quattro...I wasn't strong enough to fight those thugs off...and I got sick because I was too beaten up to get out of the cold weather before it could get me sick...if I was more like you two...maybe...maybe none of this wouldn't have happened to me..."

...

Two hours passed and after Quinton and Quattro assured Trey that they weren't angry at him and that he would be alright, the youngest Arclight boy began to calm down.

"Go ahead and get some sleep okay?" Quattro said, patting Trey's head.

Quinton said nothing. He still felt guilty about using his crest on Trey earlier that day.

Normally, he had no problem using his crest's ability to take control of another person. It hadn't bothered him when he used it on Hart Tenjo, so why was it bothering him so much now? After all, before he found out that Dr. Faker was the one responsible for his father's disappearance, Hart and his older brother Kite had been like little brothers to him...

Wait...maybe that was it...Hart had been like a little brother to Quinton...whereas Trey actually _was_ his little brother...

"Come on, Trey," Quattro was saying. "You know we'd never do anything to hurt you. And I promise you we're not mad at you. You need to calm down before you make yourself sick."

Trey nodded thoughtfully.

Quinton turned and picked up the blankets that he had carried Trey to the hospital in and placed them over Trey, who was shivering slightly. It wasn't really all that surprising, considering that it was rather cold in the room. There was no doubt that Trey was cold, as he was wearing only a paper thin hospital gown. Quinton found himself hoping that his baby brother wouldn't get sick due to the cold.

"Are you comfortable now?" Quinton asked Trey.

The fifteen-year-old pinknette nodded as he pulled the blankets up to his chin and closed his big, emerald-green eyes.

"Good," Quattro said.

"You're not going to leave, are you?" Trey asked quietly, opening his eyes.

Quattro gave his brother a slight smirk, the closest he could come to an actual smile.

"Hell no," the middle Arclight sibling answered.

Quinton smiled slightly at his brother as the child's eyes closed and he began to drift off.

Almost an hour passed and Quinton and Quattro were sure that Trey was asleep.

"Where are you going?" Quattro asked as Quinton stood up from his seat beside the window.

"I'm going to need to get back to Vetrix soon," his older brother answered. "If I don't he's going to get upset."

"Look, I know we agreed not to argue, but I don't want to be the only one who looks after Trey," Quattro said, his scarlet eyes narrowing.

"I didn't say that you would be," Quinton said. "I'm just trying not to disappoint Vetrix. He already has to deal with enough disappointment from you."

"What's that?" Quattro growled, his temper flaring up. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that it was such a disappointment for me to put our little brother before him."

"Well, for a time, you put _yourself_ before anyone else," Quinton replied coolly. "Including Trey."

Quattro glared at his older sibling. If looks could kill...

"Let's not forget, I was the one who was with him when you stormed off and didn't return until three o'clock in the morning," Quinton reminded his brother, infuriating the scar-faced duelist even more.

"Don't you try to make me the bad guy here, Quinton," Quattro snarled. "Don't you **dare**. I asked you before; do you ever stop to think that when you leave him for Vetrix, you're hurting him? Do you _ever_ stop to think about how being put last makes him feel?"

"Do you ever stop to think that when you behave the way you do hurts him just as much?" Quinton shot back. "When you try to put off doing anything with him, that makes him feel hurt as well."

Neither of the feuding brothers had any idea that Trey was awake and that he could hear every word that they were saying.

"They don't seem to realize that they're both hurting me," he whispered to himself as he stared up at the ceiling. "Why do they keep fighting like this?"

"Trey, are you awake?" Quinton asked, walking back toward the bed, Quattro right behind him.

Trey didn't answer.

"Trey?" Quinton placed a hand on Trey's shoulder.

Trey suddenly jerked away and turned away from the two older Arclights.

Quinton was about to say something when he heard Trey sniffle softly.

The twenty-year-old Number Hunter was in shock. Was his brother...crying?

Quattro's eyes widened as he too heard the sound. Trey never cried! Sure, he got upset from time to time, but he never actually cried. In fact, the last time Quattro could remember his little brother crying was back when they had been taken to that orphanage. And that was several years ago...

"Trey, what's wrong?" Quattro asked.

Trey didn't respond, but after a few minutes, he began to mutter to himself.

"What's he saying?" Quattro asked Quinton, who shook his head in reply.

"I don't know," the older brother admitted. "I can't understand."

'_Of course he doesn't understand_,' Trey said to himself. '_Neither of them do...they're not like they used to be...'_

The next day came and went and Quinton had returned to Vetrix, leaving Quattro to look after Trey. However, before he left, Quinton had promised Trey that he would be back within the next hour or so. Trey hadn't responded. Event after Quinton left, Trey still didn't say a word.

"Trey, tell me what's wrong," Quattro urged.

Though he would never admit it, it bothered the seventeen-year-old Arclight his little brother so upset.

Trey wouldn't say a word. He wouldn't even look at Quattro.

"Come on, talk to me," Quattro tried again. "Or at the very least **look** at me."

The younger Arclight brother still wouldn't say a word or even spare his older sibling a glance.

"He didn't say anything all day," Quattro reported.

Quinton sighed.

What was wrong with Trey? Yes, he was sick but there seemed to something else going on as well...

...

...

...

So, what did everyone think of this new chapter? Let me know. And once again I'll follow Akiza Blackmore's advice and start adding a date on this so you can get a good idea of when to look for the next chapter in this angsty little story. The next chapter will be posted on Friday, August 15th. Later.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Here is chapter 5. I want to thank Jean, Akiza Blackmore, and Durbe the Barian for their reviews on chapter 4. I hope you guys like this new chapter.

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXAL, the Arclights would get way more screen time than they already do, which says a lot all by itself. After one can never get enough of the Arclights. But sadly I don't own any of the Arclights or any of the other characters, or even Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXAL itself, Shin Yoshida owns all of the characters, as well as the series and everything pertaining to said series.

_**WARNING: **_This new chapter contains a great deal of_** HARD **_Arclight Angst and includes one or two scenes of self-harm here and there throughout the chapter. I advise those of you who are prone to bouts of crying to keep a box or two of tissues nearby. You have all been warned. I cannot be held responsible for any damage to any and all emotional wellbeing.

...

Quinton sat at the side of his youngest brother's hospital bed, watching the fifteen-year-old pinknette sleep. Just an hour before, Trey had been awake, but not at all responsive. This wasn't a surprise as he had been that way for the almost three days now.

Quattro had gone for a walk to clear his head an hour ago, but he had said he would return in about half an hour or so.

Trey yawned softly and slowly opened his eyes.

"Trey…" Quinton whispered.

Trey sighed and turned away, wincing as he tried be make himself comfortable in his new position without laying on his broken arm.

Despite being fifteen years old and therefore a teenager, Trey looked and acted a bit like a child. If something ever made him upset, it easily showed through a notable change of tone in his voice and a change in the look in his big, emerald-green eyes.

It was quite the opposite for his older brothers, who sometimes acted older than they actually were; it was very hard to tell what was going through Quinton's mind. He normally looked indifferent and completely apathetic for the most part. A genuine smile from him was a very rare and remarkable thing.

Quattro almost never smiled a genuine smile either. His face was usually set into an evil bloodthirsty smirk or a glare that could slaughter if looks could kill. The scar on the right side of his face from his duel with Rio Kastle only added to his already intimidating look.

But now, even if his expression didn't quite show it, Quinton was worried. For the next few months, his youngest brother was going to need help to do the simplest things. His hands, nearly all of his fingers, and one of his arms were all broken. And on top of that, he was becoming sick. But then, this time of the year it was to be expected. Thankfully, his concussion had only been a mild one and was healing steadily.

"You don't ever worry about yourself. You're too busy worrying about the rest of us," the silver-haired Number Hunter told his brother. "Though it's a very admirable quality that I encourage you to always keep, it's also quite sad that you feel you have to worry about us all the time with little regard for yourself."

Trey still said nothing, nor did he turn to face his oldest brother, fearing that if he did he would start crying.

Trey was a very sensitive person, but he did not cry that much. Usually, he tried his best to remain optimistic despite the number of hardships he had faced in his young life.

"Trey, you're starting to worry me," Quinton said, placing his hand on Trey's shoulder.

The younger Arclight sibling began to tremble softly.

"Are you alright?" Quinton asked, trying to turn his brother to face him.

"N-no!" Trey yelped, jerking away.

"Trey…"

In an uncharacteristically kind gesture, Quinton stroked his brother's soft, pink hair in an attempt to calm him.

"It's alright, Trey," he whispered. "It's alright now."

...

"Let me go!" Trey cried.

"Do it! Do it!" yelled the boy who held Trey's arms behind his back.

Trey squirmed, trying desperately to get free.

The first boy punched Trey in the face, sending him falling back and hitting his head against a hard wall.

Trey's vision instantly blurred.

"Do it! Do it! Come on, Caleb!" yelled the boy who grabbed Trey again and held his arms behind his back.

Trey squirmed, trying to get free.

The boy called Caleb punched Trey in the stomach, causing him to fall to his knees.

"Nice one!" the boy restraining Trey laughed as Trey doubled over wheezing.

Caleb smirked.

"Caleb, Colt, watch this," said the third boy, walking toward Trey. "Let me see his hand."

"Which one?" Colt asked.

"Doesn't matter, I'm getting both of them anyway," the unnamed boy answered.

Colt wrapped one arm around Trey's neck and twisted his left arm behind him to keep him from going anywhere.

"Please, let me go!" Trey begged his captors. "I didn't do anything to any of you!"

"Shut up!" the unnamed boy hissed, grabbing the youngest Arclight brother's fingers, two in one of his own hands and two in the other.

"NO!" Trey screamed, trying once more to free himself, elbowing Colt in the stomach.

Colt staggered back.

"Get him, Enrique!" he shouted.

Enrique nodded, his face distorted with fury.

"Let's do this," he growled, pulling down hard, yanking Trey's fingers in two different directions.

A loud, wet _**CRAAACCK!**_ filled the air, followed by a wail of pain.

Colt, Caleb, and Enrique laughed as Trey held his right arm close to his body, as if trying to protect it from further harm.

"Oh, we're not done just yet, little buddy," Enrique smirked, grabbing Trey's other hand.

"No! Please...n-no..." Trey pleaded, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"Aww check it out, guys," Colt sneered. "I think the baby's gonna cry!"

"Awww! Is the wittle baby fwightened?" Enrique mocked cruelly as he repeated the process on Trey's good hand.

Trey screamed again as another _**CRAAACCK! **_filled the air.

"Alright, what should we do with him now?" asked Caleb.

"Put him on the ground," Enrique ordered.

Trey was too tired and in too much pain to protest as he was forced to the ground, but the young pinknette couldn't suppress a groan of pain as the injured part of his head was bumped as he hit the asphalt on the road.

Caleb and Colt did as they were told.

Trey whimpered and squirmed, only to earn himself a punch to the jaw.

"Hold his arms out," Enrique instructed. "I've got another idea."

Once again, Colt and Caleb followed their friend's orders.

"Guys, watch this!" snickered Enrique.

The sadistic seventeen-year-old jumped up and landed on Trey's right arm.

Trey screeched as he felt pain shoot up his entire right side.

"Again!" Caleb cheered.

"Instant replay!" Colt hooted.

Enrique grinned and jumped on Trey's left arm.

Everything went red and then white as Trey screamed so loud, he though his throat would explode. He had never felt pain like this before. Gasping for breath, the young Arclight tried to keep himself calm.

"Please stop it!" he begged.

Tears were now streaming from his eyes as he looked up at the cruel teens, who merely grinned.

"The fun's just beginning..." Trey heard Colt say.

...

Trey was still lying on the ground, surrounded by the boys, who had been torturing the pink-haired duelist for nearly half an hour now.

"Well, I'm bored," Caleb sighed after he had punched Trey in the nose.

"Me too," Enrique agreed. "But hey, it was fun."

"Yeah, he squealed like a pig that last time," Caleb laughed.

"Let's get out of here," Colt said, watching the blood fall from Trey's nose and into his open mouth.

"Yeah, we don't want to get caught," Caleb agreed.

"That reminds me..."

Enrique grabbed Trey's jacket collar and yanked him up, lifting him until their faces were just inches apart.

"You tell anyone about this, anyone at all, I swear I'll bust your legs too," the older boy growled. "Not a word. Got it?"

Trey said nothing.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" Enrique snarled, shaking Trey violently.

"Y-yes!" Trey stammered. "I understand!"

"Good," Enrique smirked. He opened his hand and slapped Trey across the face. The force of the blow split Trey's lip, sending a small trickle of blood sliding down his chin.

Trey slowly sank to the ground and Enrique kicked the downed pinknette in the side before spitting on the ground next to him, kicking dirt into Trey's face, and walking away.

Trey lay there, waiting until the older boys were gone before trying to climb to his feet.

After several painful attempts, the fifteen-year-old Arclight finally was able to stand up, albeit unsteadily. His vision was blurry and the back of his head hurt terribly; he was quite sure that he had a concussion.

'_But I have to get home,' _he told himself. '_My brothers and Vetrix are waiting...I have to get back home!_'

...

"Trey. Trey. Little brother, wake up."

Trey could hear a familiar and comforting voice trying to pull him out of his nightmare.

"Huh...wha...?" the pinknette slowly opened his eyes and looked up to see his oldest brother glancing down at him and looking concerned.

"Quinton..." Trey whispered.

"Trey, I meant what I said, you really are worrying me," the older Arclight sighed.

"I'm sorry," Trey whispered.

"Don't be," Quinton said. "But I want to help you."

"You don't understand."

"Help me understand."

...

Quattro sighed as he stared down at his brother before turning to the window. Quinton had returned to Vetrix and there was no knowing when he would come back, or if he would come back.

"...Qu...Quattro..."

The sveneteen-year-old Gimmick Puppet duelist looked down to see that Trey had opened one exhauseted eye and was looking up at him tiredly.

"Go back to sleep, Trey," Quattro said, sounding harsher than he intended. "You need your rest to recover. Less talking, more sleeping."

Trey looked hurt for a minute but obediently closed his eyes and within a few minutes, he was fast asleep again.

Quattro sighed. He hadn't slept all night and it was almost five o'clock in the morning and he was tired. But this wasn't the first time he had pulled an all-nighter. Once, Quinton had told him that there was a possibility that he might have insomnia. He hadn't checked for sure but he had a feeling that he had it. But right now, Trey's condition was more important.

He couldn't help but think about the look Trey had given him before he fell asleep. But he needed to sleep.

...

"I still don't see why Trey never showed up for our duel," Yuma said.

"Maybe he chickened out at the last minute," Bronk suggested.

"Maybe…" Yuma wasn't so sure. As determined as Trey had been to defeat him in a duel, it seemed highly unlikely that he would just turn around and back out at the last minute.

"Damn, that beating the crap out of that Trey kid was hilarious."

Yuma stopped in his tracks when he heard those words.

"You're right about that, Colt," laughed a boy with a dirty blond crew-cut.

"Did they just say something about Trey?" Yuma asked.

"It sounded like it," answered Bronk.

"My favorite part was when Enrique jumped on his arms and broke his hands and his right arm," snickered a boy with dark brown hair with two large fringes in front of his ears.

"I can still hear his pathetic squeals," put in a boy with a black bowl-cut. "Can you, Caleb?"

"Yep," answered the blond boy.

"Ah! Please let me go! I didn't do anything to you! Please let me go!" squealed the brunette boy, twisting his face to look as though he were in pain and close to tears. "But really Enrique, you really did a good job with that little shrimp. He looked like he was gonna cry when you stomped on his hands! I don't know what was funnier; his squeals or the cracking sound that his hands and his arm made when you broke them...well I'd say the squeals."

"I'm gonna go with the cracking sounds," the blond-haired teen shrugged.

"My vote goes to both of them," the boy with the bowl-cut smirked.

Yuma couldn't believe his ears. These boys had hurt Trey and here they were bragging about it. Actually bragging about it!

"One thing, that little pink-haired wimp better not have opened his mouth about us," the one called Enrique spoke up, pulling Yuma back to reality. "I was dead serious about busting his legs if he talked."

"I don't doubt that," the blonde stated.

"Hey, Enrique, do you know that kid's Quattro's little brother?" the brown-haired boy asked. "Imagine if Quattro found out-"

"Duh! I already knew that. Why do you think I told him to keep quiet, Colt?" Enrique snapped. "And like I said, he talks; I'll bust those legs of his."

"I wanna see that," Caleb smirked. "The loser's already got a broken arm, two broken hands, and let's not forget the concussion. Oh, and the bloody nose."

"Our handiwork, Enrique," Colt reminded the black-haired boy.

"Nice job," Enrique said, slapping hands with Colt.

...

"I have to find Trey," Yuma said.

"Perhaps he could be in one of those places that you refer to as 'hospitals'," Astral stated thoughtfully. "After all, that does seem to be the place that an injured person would go to for treatment."

"Yeah!" Yuma nodded and hurried to the hospital.

"Yuma, wait up!" Bronk called, hopping onto his skateboard.

...

"Is he okay?!"

Yuma had all but burst into Trey's hospital room, closely flanked by Cathy and Tori.

Quattro stood up, turned around, and glared at the newcomers.

"Will you shut the hell up?" he hissed, balling his hands into fists. "Trey's been through a lot and he needs to rest. He doesn't have the strength or the time to have to deal with annoying little twerps like you."

"You don't have to be so rude," Tori huffed, sounding much braver than she felt. She was still a little afraid of Quattro. But it made sense considering she had seen the dangerous duelist in action when he dueled against Bronk and Caswell, which had prevented the two from coming; both had known that there was a very good possibility that Quattro would be there.

"We just came to check on Trey," Yuma stated.

"We also brought flowers," Tori piped up, holding out a bouquet of assorted flowers. "We thought they might brighten up the room and cheer Trey up."

Quattro snatched the bouquet and examined it.

"They're lovely," he said, a sickeningly sweet smirk on his face.

Without another word, the scar-faced duelist turned and walked to the window, opened the window, and before anyone could utter a word, flung the flowers right out of the open window.

"Well, that was rude!" Cathy hissed, positioning her hands like claws.

"Oh, come off it and go back to your litter box, you little fleabag," Quattro spat at the feline-obsessed female.

Cathy once again hissed in anger.

"Look, we didn't come here to fight," Yuma said, trying to keep a fight from breaking out. "We came to check on Trey."

"Get out," Quattro ordered, his eyes and voice filled with anger.

"Even if he doesn't feel the same way right now, I still consider Trey to be my friend," Yuma continued, refusing to back down. "And I came here to make sure he was okay. Then when we duel together, maybe we can really become friends."

"Alright, listen and listen good, because I'm only going to say this one time," Quattro growled, feeling his temper beginning to flare up. "First off, you can keep your 'dueling sparks friendship' crap to yourself. Second, you three little twerps have about five seconds to leave on your own or I swear I will make you leave."

Tori backed away looking nervous.

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" Yuma challenged.

"Yeah, how?" Cathy purred.

"Well, Yuma, in case your tiny, nearly nonexistent brain hasn't realized it by now, we're in the ICU," Quattro explained. "Visitors need to have permission from a relative to see the patient. As one of Trey's older brothers, I have the right to withdraw that permission at any given time. So think Yuma, do you really want to try me?"

"You...you wouldn't..." Yuma glared at the middle Arclight.

"You saw what I did to your two little friends in our duel the other day," Quattro smirked evilly, his scarlet eyes glowing eerily as they stared into Yuma's. "I think we both know there isn't really much of anything that I would or wouldn't do."

Yuma said nothing.

"Now all of you get out," Quattro's smirk became a twisted look of fury. "Before I lose my temper and send you through that damn window behind the flowers."

"This isn't over, Quattro," Yuma said in a voice of fierce determination.

"Ooh, I'm _sooo_ scared. Now get the hell out," Quattro sneered, glaring at the three teens as they left the room.

After they had left, he turned back to Trey, who began to twitch and cough. Quattro grimaced slightly as his younger brother dissolved into a coughing fit.

The older Arclight sighed before getting his brother some water to ease his cough.

...

"Vetrix feels that Trey has to go home now."

"Quinton, he isn't ready. You know that."

"I know, but Vetrix says that we can't risk attracting any unwanted attention."

Trey woke to hearing his brothers having a heated, but whispered, argument.

"Trey is sick and injured," Quattro growled, glaring at his older brother.

"I am aware of that," Quinton retorted. "But Vetrix is right. What if the people who attacked him decide to strike again and he's in the hospital?"

Quattro gritted his teeth.

"Do you not realize that he needs to rest here where it's peaceful and quiet," the middle Arclight brother hissed.

"Quattro, keep your voice down," Quinton snapped. "You'll wake Trey."

Trey tried not to move or make any sounds. He wasn't in the mood for another fight.

...

Trey sighed as he lay curled up in his bed. He was back at home in his bedroom. Quinton and Quattro had taken him home the day before, as per Vetrix's orders. The mask-wearing man-child was determined to not attract too much attention, so he had had Quinton and Quattro retrieve Trey.

Despite the possibility of becoming sicker without staying, Trey was happy at the time because his brothers weren't glaring at each other or arguing, and in Quattro's case yelling. But then when they brought Trey home, the two older Arclights had just gone right back to fighting. It was as if that time in the hospital had never happened at all.

The pink-haired Chronomoly duelist sank into great sadness. It wasn't quite depression, but it was close. His brain felt numb. The day passed in a blur, disrupted only by an occasional flood of inexplicable tears from his eyes.

'_I haven't felt this alone since my family was torn apart' _Trey said to himself. '_I felt so alone without my brothers or my father, but now my father's not even really my father anymore...and my brothers are just so cold and distant…and there's no denying it…they are angry with me…they're just saying they're not…but why would they lie about that? Why?'_

"You really might want to consider keeping your voice down, Quattro," Quinton's voice pulled Trey out of his thoughts. "Trey's been through a lot over the course of the past few days and he needs to rest."

"But what about Vetrix?" Quattro sneered. "He might be trying to watch his precious cartoons. How the hell can we deprive him?"

"Quattro-" Quinton began.

"Well, what if Trey's sleeping?" Quattro continued, his temper flaring. "Then Vetrix won't be able to turn his cartoons up to the point of being able to DESTROY AN EARDRUM OR TWO!"

"Quattro, will you just stop it," Quinton sighed.

"There's no point in even talking to you anymore!" Quattro snapped.

Trey winced as he heard footsteps stomp away before a loud slam was heard. Only Quattro could slam doors like that.

The fifteen-year-old heard Quinton sigh and walk away.

Trey felt sick in the pit of his stomach. The more his older brothers argued, the worse he felt.

In the privacy and silence of his bedroom, Trey would cry when he heard his brothers send chilly remarks to one another.

"Why won't they stop fighting?" the miserable pinknette asked himself. "Why do they hate each other so much now? Is it because of me?"

...

"QUINTON!"

Trey's eyes widened as Quattro hurled himself at Quinton.

Quinton dodged his brother, causing the younger Arclight to crash into the wall.

"YOU'RE GONNA GET IT NOW, QUINTON!" Quattro snarled, his red eyes lit up with fury.

"Quattro…Quattro stop!" Trey shrieked at the top of his lungs.

Quattro, red-faced, sweat drenching his forehead, grabbed Quinton's throat with both hands and squeezed.

Quinton grabbed his younger brother's wrists firmly and yanked them away from his throat.

"Stop it, Quattro," he warned.

"SHUT UP!" the red-and-yellow-haired Arclight growled, aiming a punch at Quinton's face, only for the older sibling to catch it.

Trey dove beside his brothers and grabbed Quattro's shoulders, ignoring the burning pain in his broken hands.

"Please, Quattro, please stop!" the teenage pinknette pleaded.

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, PIPSQUEAK!" Quattro glared at him, raised his hand, and struck Trey across the face.

Trey let out a shriek of pain as he collided with the adjacent wall.

"Trey!" Quinton gasped, hurrying to his youngest brother's side.

Trey curled up into a ball, shaking and whimpering with pain and fear.

"Trey…"

Quinton glared at Quattro as he gathered the pinknette in his arms. Trey squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in the front of Quinton's coat.

"Quattro, how could you do this?" the silver-haired Number Hunter demanded in a voice of cold fury as he held Trey, who was whimpering softly, close to him.

"I…I didn't…" Quattro stammered, now realizing what he had done. "Trey…I…I didn't mean…"

Trey wriggled out of Quinton's arms and ran to his bedroom, tears streaming from his eyes. How could Quattro have done this to him?! He hurt Trey! Sure, the two had played rough as children (mostly Quattro), and now Quattro sometimes sent cutting verbal remarks at his brothers, but he had never actually hit Trey before.

'_Quattro doesn't love me anymore' _Trey cried to himself as he buried himself under the mound of blankets on his bed. '_He hates me now...He hates me! He wouldn't hurt me like this if he didn't…what...what did I do to make him feel this way? Why does my big brother hate me now?!'_

...

Trey looked at his arm and bit his lip. His eyes glanced down at the side of his bed. He noticed the sharp edges on the metal frame. Maybe…just maybe...

Trey tried to keep from whimpering or crying out in pain as he shakily slid his arm across the edge of the frame, watching as the sharp metal split his porcelain skin open and brought forth a steady trickle of brilliant red blood. The teenage pinknette watch the bright red blood fall from his arm and onto the floor.

No sooner had he slid his arm across the metal bed frame a second time, the door opened.

"Trey, if you're awake, I want to know why you're...TREY, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Quattro screeched, running over to his brother and grabbing his bleeding arm.

Trey squirmed and tried to break free from his brother's strong grip.

"L-let me go!" he whimpered.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Quattro demanded, shaking Trey.

"Don't you yell at him," Quinton ordered, pulling Trey out of Quattro's grip. "And don't shake him like that or you'll hurt him even more."

"DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Quattro shot back.

"STOP FIGHTING!" Trey cried, tears falling from his eyes. "JUST STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU! STOP IT NOW!"

Quinton and Quattro stared at their younger brother, surprised by the vehemence of his sudden outburst.

Trey glared at both of them, tears filling his eyes.

...

"I hope you're proud of yourself," Quinton said, his icy gaze on Quattro.

"Will you just shut up?" Quattro snapped. "It isn't my fault our little brother decided to start slicing his arms open."

"You hit Trey," Quinton continued, feeling his anger growing. "Have you forgotten the condition Trey's in? Why would you do that?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Quattro snarled, his red eyes flashing.

Without another word, the middle Arclight stormed to his own room.

Quinton sighed and shook his head. Lately, this was the closest he and his younger brother ever came to a conversation.

But then, ever since they began their plan for revenge, everything had changed. But it was necessary...wasn't it?

...

...

So, how was it? Let me know.

The next chapter will be in on August 30th.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Here is chapter 6. I apologize for being a couple of days late. I've been incredibly busy and the weather has been crazy. Thank you to Lee-Lee2306, Jean, akiza blackmore, coolboi12, Riptide449, and ChoukoLightSpirit for the reviews on chapter 5. Also an additional thanks to ChoukoLightSpirit for the additional review on chapter 1. Alright, that said, enjoy the new chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal. My lawyer is so fired.

...

Quinton slid a hand behind Trey's head, gently supporting him as he helped the younger Arclight sip the hot tea that he had brought for him.

"It's…it's good…" Trey whispered, feeling the tea ease the soreness in his throat. He also felt his eyes growing heavier.

"It will make you feel better," Quinton said softly, helping his brother take another sip before setting the tea down on the table beside Trey's bed and gently wiping his little brother's face with a damp cloth. "Your fever's gone down a little."

Trey nodded tiredly and began doze off against Quinton's chest.

The eldest Arclight shifted him slightly, so he would be more comfortable, and wrapped him in another blanket.

Trey yawned and slowly opened his eyes.

"Quinton..." the fifteen-year-old pinknette whispered, only half-awake, but desperate to ask his question.

"Yes, Trey?" Quinton glanced down at his younger brother.

"W-why does Quattro hate me?" Trey questioned. "D-did I do something wrong?"

Quinton closed his eyes to keep his youngest brother from seeing the agony growing within his dark blue eyes. Quattro could be a little short-tempered a great deal of the time, but how could Trey ever think…but then Quattro's behavior the other day hadn't helped at all.

"You did nothing wrong, Trey," he said after a few minutes. "Quattro's just…upset. As usual, he let his temper get the best of him and took it out on the wrong person at the wrong time."

Trey said nothing.

A few short minutes later, Quinton felt one of Trey's cast-covered hands lay on top of one of his and responded by closing his fingers around the hand gently.

"Quattro doesn't hate you, Trey," he said, his dark blue eyes staring into Trey's green ones. "I promise you that."

"Don't go," Trey pleaded to Quinton.

"Of course not," Quinton replied. "I'm staying right here."

The eldest of the Arclight brothers moved closer to his youngest brother, placing Trey's head on his lap, and gently brushing a pink curl out of Trey's face.

"You…" Trey's voice trailed off.

"Tell me," Quinton encouraged his brother.

"You don't hate me…" Trey murmured in a voice barely above a whisper. "Do you?"

"No, I don't," Quinton answered, one hand on Trey's cast-covered one and the other stroking his brother's hair softly. "You're my little brother, I can't hate you."

"But you hate Quattro," Trey whimpered.

"I don't hate him either," Quinton told him. "We argue once in a while because it's part of our being brothers.

Trey said nothing. Quinton knew that he was thinking of the night Quattro had screamed at Quinton that he hated him.

"S-so…" Trey stammered. "Quattro only said that because he was really upset?"

"Yes," Quinton answered.

Trey yawned.

"Get some sleep," his older brother said. "You're weak, you're injured, and you're ill. And the only way that you'll recover is if you get your rest."

Trey nodded, closed his eyes, curled up on his left side, and drifted off to sleep.

...

Quinton glanced up at the clock to see that it was seven in the evening. It was already dark outside, but it usually got dark early at this time of the year. Of course, it also got cold too, which was why Quinton insisted that his youngest brother stay in his bed.

Trey left to use the facilities and bathe, but aside from that, he never left his room. Part of this was because his illness had weakened him.

The other reason was because he was still very upset about Quattro hitting him and becoming angry at him. In fact, he had fallen into a deep depression because of it and resorted to cutting himself just a few days ago.

Suddenly, Trey began coughing in his sleep. Quinton pulled him into his arms carefully and patted him on the back until the coughing ceased.

Trey, wake up," he said, gently shaking his little brother awake.

"Huh? Wha…?" Trey murmured sleepily as he woke. "W-what's going on, Quinton? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong, Trey. It's time for you to take some of your medication now," Quinton told him, holding up a small cup of poison-orange liquid.

"No," Trey said, closing his eyes.

"You have to take it," Quinton urged.

Trey groaned and shook his head.

"Trey, you have to take it," Quinton pressed.

"I don't want that," Trey whined, turning his head away and wrinkling his nose. "It's disgusting!"

"You have to take it whether it's disgusting or not," Quinton sighed. "It's the only way you'll get better."

After another five minutes of pointless bickering, Trey finally relented.

After giving his brother a glass of water, Quinton felt his brother's forehead and was relieved to find that Trey's temperature had not gone up. Unfortunately, it hadn't really gone down either. This was enough to alarm Quinton somewhat.

He noticed that Trey's face was a little flushed now.

Trey had just laid back down when he began to cough.

Quinton winced slightly at the congested sound and closed his eyes, pitying his youngest brother who was now trying to rub his sore throat with his forearm in an attempt to keep from hurting his broken hands and fingers.

"Don't try to speak, Trey," Quinton instructed softly. "It will only make your throat hurt even more. Don't speak unless it's absolutely necessary. It's not that

I don't want to converse with you, I just don't want you to strain yourself."

Trey nodded to show that he understood and let out a yawn which, in a matter of seconds, became a violent sneezing fit.

Quinton grabbed a few tissues from the box that rested on the little table beside Trey's bed and held them up to Trey's nose.

"I'm…S-sorry…" Trey rasped. He hated that he was so helpless due to his broken arm, hands, and fingers. He didn't like that Quinton was being forced to help him with something that he should be more than capable of doing for himself.

"Don't be, you can't help this," Quinton said. He was a little disgusted at having to help his brother wipe his nose, but he was determined to put Trey first. Especially since his needs and Quattro's had both been placed behind Vetrix's orders. The least Quinton could do now is be there for his brothers.

Trey smiled slightly at his oldest brother. Quinton responded by patting his brother's left arm gently.

For a moment, neither of the two Arclight brothers said a word. But then, Trey shivered.

"Are you cold?" Quinton asked attentively.

Trey nodded slightly.

Quinton grabbed Trey's blankets and carefully tucked them around the younger boy.

"Th-thank you…b-big brother…" Trey whispered.

Quinton couldn't help but smile when he heard Trey call him that. It had been a long time since either one of his kid brothers had called him that.

A second later, Trey fell victim to another bout of sneezing. After helping him, Quinton saw that the pinknette's nose was becoming very red and most likely rather sore from all of the tissues pressing and rubbing against it.

"I've…m-missed you…" Trey murmured.

Quinton bit his lip.

"I've…missed you too, little brother…" the silver-haired Number Hunter whispered.

Trey smiled and crawled toward Quinton, which was rather difficult without the use of his hands and one of his arms.

Quinton carefully helped his brother lay his head against his chest while relishing the look of peace on the child's face.

It was true, he had missed this; being able to spend time with his little brothers. In fact, he hadn't really spent any real time with them since before they were taken away after the disappearance of their father.

Trey yawned and stared groggily up at Quinton. His older brother had been looking after him for the last four hours, making sure that he was comfortable.

"Quinton, I'm okay now," the pinknette said, smiling weakly.

"Are you sure?" Quinton asked.

Trey nodded. He was still getting used to the attention that his brother was now showing him. It was a welcome change from the way things had been just a few days before when Quinton would ignore him.

"I'm perfectly sure," the youngest of the Arclights told his oldest brother.

...

Quattro sighed heavily as he brought the small knife to his left arm, debating on whether or not he should break the skin. But then the sad face and tear-filled eyes of his heartbroken little brother flashed in his mind's eye and made his decision for him.

The red-and-yellow-haired duelist slowly pressed the knife against his arm, breaking the skin and he watched as bright red blood slowly began to run down the side of his arm and dripped down onto the dark sheets of his bed.

_'Is this how badly Trey's hurting?_' Quattro wondered as the pain coursed through his arm. _'Or is he hurting worse than this? This...this is my fault...why did I do that to him? And I claimed that Quinton was a horrible brother...'_

With another heavy sigh, the seventeen-year-old Arclight slid the knife across his arm again.

...

The next few days passed and it became part of Quattro's daily schedule to cut his wrist at least once each day. Vetrix was immersed in his cartoons and plans for revenge on Dr. Faker as usual, Trey now only left his room to bathe and use the facilities, and Quinton completely ignored Quattro due to his still being angry at him, and the fact that he was now looking after Trey. No one seemed to notice that something was very wrong with Quattro.

'I have to do this,' Quattro told himself, watching his blood seep out of the wounds now covering the lower side of his forearm. 'I hurt Trey and now I understand just how badly I hurt him.'

Suddenly, the scar-faced Number Hunter heard a knock at his bedroom door.

"Quattro," called his older brother.

"Don't come in!" Quattro ordered, sliding the knife across his arm again, once again drawing blood.

"Quattro, I'm serious," Quinton's voice had grown harder. "Open this door. Now."

"No!" Quattro retorted as he slid the knife across his right arm a few more times, watching as the blood flowed and landed on the toe of his boot. "I'm busy and I need a little freakin' privacy!"

"Quattro, I'm not going to tell you again," Quinton warned. "Open this door."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Quattro barked.

"Quattro, open this door!" Quinton's voice now sounded angry. "NOW!"

The door flew open and Quinton stepped into the room. Quattro jumped and hid his arm. But Quinton saw the blood falling from his left arm and the small knife in his right hand.

"Quattro..."

"I told you not to come in here!" the younger Arclight cried angrily.

"Quattro…don't do this..." Quinton whispered as he reached for the knife in his younger brother's hand.

"SCREW OFF, QUINTON!" Quattro snarled. "I have to do this!"

"No, you don't," Quinton responded.

With a rapid swipe of his arm, the older Arclight made another grab for the knife, managing to just catch it on the handle, his hand just below Quattro's.

"Let go!" Quattro shouted.

"Drop it, Quattro!" Quinton yelled. "You don't have to do this!"

"YES I DO!" Quattro screamed, pushing his brother away from him with every ounce of strength that he had.

Quinton stumbled back a few steps, making a desperate attempt to keep his hold on the knife.

Quattro yanked the knife back, and slashed across his arm.

But the silver-haired Arclight threw the knife across the room and wrapped his arms around his brother firmly.

Quattro let out an enraged screech and tried to free himself. But Quinton's grip was too strong.

"LET ME GO!" Quattro shrieked. "QUINTON LET ME GO! QUINTON! DAMN IT, I'M SERIOUS, LET ME GO NOW!"

"Quattro, stop!"

Quinton grabbed his younger brother's wrist and held his arms above his head, fearing the teenage Arclight would harm himself even more.

Quattro screamed and tried to kick his way out of his brother's grasp.

Finally, after about ten or fifteen minutes of struggling, just as Quinton's patience had reached its' end and he was prepared to use his crest, Quattro gave up and just screamed and cried.

"It's alright," Quinton whispered, running one hand through Quattro's hair while the other held him close. "I promise it's going to be alright, Quattro."

Quattro shuddered softly, but remained silent.

"I promise it'll be okay," Quinton said, not letting go of his brother.

...

...

So, how was it? Let me know and the next chapter will be out on September 14th.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Alright, I apologize for the lateness and I promise this is the last time it will ever happen. Thank you to ChoukoLightSpirit, akiza blackmore, Durbe the Barian, Jean, Kujaku-Lianne Iceshard, and DanuTalislesk for the reviews on the last chapter. Enjoy chapter 7.

Disclaimer: I'm still not Shin Yoshida, so as a result, I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters (damn).

...

Trey yawned and stared groggily up at Quinton. His older brother had been looking after him for the last four hours, making sure that he was comfortable.

"Quinton, I'm okay now," the pinknette said, smiling weakly.

"Are you sure?" Quinton asked.

Trey nodded. He was still getting used to the attention that his brother was now showing him. It was a welcome change from the way things had been just a few days before when Quinton would ignore him.

"I'm perfectly sure," the youngest of the Arclights told his oldest brother. "Besides you need to get back to Quattro. If he's sick too, he'll need you to be there for him too."

"He's…he's not exactly sick…" Quinton admitted.

"What are you talking about?" Trey asked. "If he's not sick, then what's wrong with him?"

Quinton didn't know how to answer Trey's questions. He really needed to check on Quattro to make sure that his other younger brother hadn't harmed himself again. But Trey didn't need to know that part.

"He's just…having a hard time right now," Quinton explained. It wasn't a lie; Quattro was having a very hard time.

"Is...is he hurt?" Trey asked, looking worried.

"He's just going through a rough time right now, Trey," Quinton said, brushing aside Trey's curly bangs. "Don't worry, I'll be right back, I have to go check on him."

"Okay, I'll try to get some sleep," Trey replied, closing his eyes and allowing his body to relax.

Quinton placed another blanket over his youngest brother and without another word, the twenty-year-old son of Byron Arclight exited Trey's room and proceeded on to Quattro's room.

As he made his way down the hall, Quinton could hear Vetrix laughing hysterically. No doubt something or someone had done something stupid on one of the many cartoons that the mask-wearing man-child watched nearly every waking moment that he wasn't lamenting on Dr. Faker and planning out the latter's downfall.

When he entered Quattro's room, the eldest of the Arclight brothers was dismayed to see that his other younger brother was sitting in the window seat, staring out the window, watching the sleet pelt against the glass.

"Quattro..." Quinton was unable to say anything else and willing himself to keep from allowing his repressed emotions to break free.

Slowly, Quattro turned to face his older brother, his scarlet eyes rimmed with red.

"What?" the seventeen-year-old Gimmick Puppet duelist sulked.

"What are you still doing up?" Quinton questioned. "You were supposed to be in bed an hour ago."

"Well sorry, _Dad_," Quattro snapped. "I didn't realize I had a specific bedtime anymore. Hell, I thought as long as I '_do as I'm told and show Vetrix some respect_', you wouldn't give a damn what I do."

"You need to rest," his brother sighed, knowing he sounded like a father arguing with a stubborn child. There had been a number of times in their past that his younger brother had had the same argument with their father whenever he was caught awake past his bedtime.

Quattro's red eyes narrowed as he glared at his brother.

"Leave me the hell alone," he huffed.

"Quattro, I'm trying to help you," Quinton said, sitting beside his brother and trying to place a hand on his shoulder.

"No!" Quattro jerked away.

"Quattro…"

Quinton's voice trailed off when he saw the undeniable anger on his brother's face and the pain in his brother's eyes.

"So this is what it took to get you to finally pay attention…" Quattro said, trying to keep his voice from trembling as he rolled up the sleeves of his pajamas to reveal the cuts on his arms. "It took Trey getting hurt and sick and both of us opening up our wrists to get you to start caring about us again?"

"Quattro, you and Trey are my little brothers, I've always cared for you," Quinton insisted.

"You've got a funny way of showing it," Quattro sneered.

"Look, if this is about the orphanage, I didn't want that either," Quinton told him.

"You have no idea what those people put us through in there," Quattro said. The seventeen-year-old Arclight no longer looked angry; he now looked hurt…and a little scared…

"What do you mean?" Quinton asked, taking his brother's hand and leading him over to his bed and helping him lay down before covering him up.

'I haven't done this since Quattro was about eleven,' Quinton told himself as Quattro yawned and slowly sank into his blankets and pillow.

"I mean that the people who were in charge there were insane," Quattro began, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "When we first got there the building was so quiet, you couldn't even tell there were any kids in there."

Quinton said nothing.

"Then we found out it was because if you made any noise at all, you were punished," Quattro continued.

"Punished? How?" Quinton asked.

"No idea, but I do know that I saw one kid crying and I think he was bleeding," Quattro explained, a faraway look in his scarlet eyes. "After that, Trey and I never wanted to find out what happened if you made noise, caused trouble, or made them angry. We were always quiet, we never caused trouble, and we never misbehaved. But there were times when the woman who ran the place, the one who took us away, would make up something just to be able to punish us."

Quinton didn't know what to say. He would have never agreed to let his brothers go to the orphanage had he known that it would be like that.

"I never knew…"

"Even a year after we got there, Trey cried for you every day," Quattro was still not finished with his tale. "We both wanted you and Father. We kept hoping that each day would be the day that one of you or both of you would come and take us back home, away from that rat hole…but you never did…"

"I know," Quinton could feel his heart swelling with guilt.

"You knew where we were, didn't you?" Quattro asked.

His older brother nodded.

"Yes," Quinton sighed. "I did. I knew exactly where you were."

"You could have at least visited us when we were there," the younger Arclight sibling murmured, his anger now transforming into pain. "At least _once_...before Trey was adopted.."

"I…I know," Quinton said, looking down. "I'm sorry, Quattro…I should have come to see the two of you...wait...Trey was adopted..."

"And they didn't want me," Quattro told his older brother. "No one ever wanted me. Some people said that because I have red eyes that meant that I was a bad child. And they didn't want a bad child."

"That's ridiculous," Quinton said, feeling himself growing angry.

"No kidding," Quattro replied. "But the day Trey was adopted turned into the worst night of my life."

"What happened?" Quinton asked. "You can tell me."

Quattro looked at him for a minute before sighing and looking down at his lap.

"They…I can't…it's too painful…"

"I'm sorry, Quattro," Quinton said, wrapping his arms around his brother. "I should have visited you...maybe then you wouldn't have begun to hate me."

"Look...sometimes I say things I don't mean, alright?" Quattro spoke up. "I was just mad when I said that, I wasn't thinking. I don't hate you. But I'm still mad about you always putting Vetrix before us."

"Quattro, you want our father back, don't you?" Quinton asked.

"I thought I did," Quattro answered. "But now I'm not so sure anymore. He's changed so much..."

Quinton couldn't disagree with his younger sibling there. He was right, Vetrix was no longer the father that all three of the Arclight brothers had loved and now missed terribly.

"Quattro, if you're tired, you can go to sleep," Quinton said when he saw his sibling rub his eyes sleepily yet again.

Quattro yawned and sank further into his pillows.

"Trey...thinks I hate him…" Quattro whispered tiredly, now trying to sit up. "I…have to talk to him…now"

"But first, get some rest," Quinton said, gently pushing his younger brother back down onto the pillows. "You need to sleep, Quattro."

"Okay," the scar-faced duelist sighed before closing his eyes. "Goodnight, Quinton."

Quinton was stunned by his brother's suddenly submissive attitude. Normally, Quattro would have insisted that he could take care of himself and that he was going to talk to Trey whether Quinton liked it or not. He also wouldn't have said goodnight. The eldest Arclight began to wonder if Quattro was sick or extremely depressed. Though judging by all of his self-inflicted injuries, probably the latter.

Now the silver-haired Number Hunter had reached a stalemate; he needed to be with Trey to keep an eye on him, but he also needed to be here for Quattro. What could he do?

He heard Quattro sigh softly as he drifted off to sleep.

The seventeen-year-old Arclight had turned onto his right side, causing his scar to disappear into his pillow and blankets.

...

Quinton felt himself becoming guiltier by the second. How could he have stood aside and allowed all of this to happen? Both of his little brothers were hurting and all he had done was stay with Vetrix, carrying out his orders, never questioning anything.

Now, he didn't know what to do. Both of his younger brothers were depressed and both coped by harming themselves. He was their brother! It was his job to protect them and to always look out for them. But now here they were, opening their wrists.

Suddenly, Quinton was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Quattro inhale sharply and loudly.

"Quattro?"

"No...no..." Quattro squeezed his eyes shut tighter. "No...I didn't...do anything..."

"Quattro, what's wrong?"

Quinton knelt beside Quattro, alarmed by his brother's antics.

"No!"

Quattro's eyes flew open and he started to shake.

"Quattro..."

Quinton was at a loss for words. It hurt him to see one of his younger brothers this way; scared and frantic. If he was able to properly convey the emotions he had long since buried, he would have said something to comfort Quattro. But instead, he held the teenage Arclight protectively, hoping to provide some physical comfort.

'_What happened to him in that place?_' Quinton wondered. '_What did they do to him?_'

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt Quattro bury his face in his shoulder.

After a few minutes of sitting together on the side of Quattro's bed, Quinton tried to help his brother lie down so that he could rest. But the second that he made the attempt, Quattro latched onto him desperately.

Still Quinton said nothing. He couldn't think of anything to say that could calm his little brother.

"If it helps you...tell me what happened..." the silver-haired Arclight whispered.

"Horrible things..." Quattro choked out. "Those...people...d-did...h-h-horrible...th-things..."

Suddenly, Quattro inhaled sharply and loudly and buried his face in Quinton's coat.

"Quattro?"

Quinton looked down to see that his brother was already drifting off to sleep and he didn't have the heart to disturb him.

...

...

So, how was it? Let me know.

The next chapter will be out on Saturday, October 25th.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Alright, here's chapter 8. Thanks to ChoukoLightSpirit, Akiza Blackmore, Durbe the Barian, Riptide449, Guest, Guest, DanuTalisIsles, and Anonymous for all the reviews on Chapter 7. I hope you all enjoy this brand new, angst-filled chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-OH Zexal or any of the characters, Shin Yoshida does.

...

Quattro woke up to find himself in his older brother's arms. It was nice to feel cared for for once. For the longest time he had felt abandoned by Quinton. Due to him always being busy with Vetrix or spending what little time he didn't act like a complete stiff with Trey.

"You're awake," Quinton looked down at his brother. "I guess I should be going now."

"No!" Quattro gasped softly as he reached out and grabbed Quinton's arm. "Please...stay here with me...Aniki..."

Quinton's eyes widened slightly. Quattro hadn't called him that in years. Not since before their father disappeared and their family was torn apart.

"Quattro..."

Quattro wrapped his arms around Quinton's arm, relaxing a little when his brother sat down and rubbed his ,"

"How's Trey?" the red-and-yellow-haired Arclight asked.

"He's alright," his brother answered.

Quattro yawned softly and rubbed his scarlet eyes tiredly.

"If you feel tired then you should get some more rest," Quinton told him.

Quattro nodded, too exhausted to argue.

Without a word, the younger Arclight curled up into a ball and closed his eyes. He didn't want to think anymore. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep. Only in sleep did he have a chance to relive the memories of times before Faker's betrayal.

(Flashback)

"Give it back!"

"Only if you can catch me, pipsqueak!"

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

"You also told me not to take your cards anymore and I'm doing that too," Thomas teased, holding up his younger brother Michael's new card. This one was a Chronomoly just like the Aztec Mask Golem their father had given him a short time ago. Like the Aztec Mask Golem, this card had been given to Michael by a member of his family, his oldest brother Christopher.

"Give me my Chronomoly Moai back!" the ten-year-old pinknette squealed as he chased Thomas out of the living room and into the backyard.

"Only if you can take it from me!" Thomas snickered again, waving the card around, taunting his brother the way he would taunt the family dog with a bone.

Michael jumped at his older brother in an attempt to get the card back, only to hit the ground face first.

"That was pathetic!" Thomas howled with laughter. "I didn't even have to move!"

Michael looked up at his brother and spit the grass out of his mouth, causing Thomas to laugh even harder.

"Give it back to me! That's my card!" the younger boy screamed, his face turning as pink as his hair.

"I'm older than you so you can't tell me what to do!" Thomas shot back.

"Chris can!" Michael said.

"Well Chris isn't here, now is he?" Thomas smirked.

"Yes, I am," a voice behind the two said.

They turned to see a teenage boy with silver hair tied into a sleek braid that rested on his left shoulder.

"Chris, Thomas took my card," Michael whined.

"Give it back to him," Chris told Thomas sternly.

"Okay," Thomas grumbled.

Michael held out his hand.

"Here," Thomas grumbled, thrusting the card into Michael's tiny hand.

"Michael, look at you," Christopher sighed, brushing off Michael's clothes. "What's Father going to say when he comes home and sees you all dirty like this?"

"He's gonna make you take a bath!" Thomas smirked.

Michael stuck his tongue out at his older brother.

"That tears it!" Thomas yelled, hurling himself at Michael.

The two younger Arclights fell to the ground, Thomas attacking and Michael trying to defend himself.

"That's enough, both of you!" Chris snapped, pulling his brothers apart.

Both boys froze. Chris almost never lost his temper, especially not with them.

"S-sorry, big brother," Michael stammered.

"Well you started it," Thomas told him. "So you should be sorry."

"So should you!" Michael pouted.

"Stop it," Chris ordered, narrowing his azure eyes. His tone wasn't too harsh, but it was enough to make his brothers stop their quarreling.

"Sorry," both boys said in unison.

"Alright. Now let's get you both cleaned up before Father comes home."

Without another word, the three Arclight brothers headed back into their house.

(Flashback ends)

'_We were all really happy back then,_' the middle Arclight said to himself. '_I guess Trey was right...I miss the way things were too...maybe after we take Faker down, things could go back to the way they were before..._'

But deep in his heart, Quattro knew that even if they were successful in their quest for revenge, the Arclight family would never be the way they were. Not after all of the damage that had been done.

But it was memories like this that made Quattro yearn for the old days. But whether he realized it or not, he wasn't the only one...

...

"You just lay here and rest," Quinton told his younger brother. "I'll be back soon."

"I don't want to sleep," Quattro argued. "I heard there's another tournament coming up soon and I need to get to it."

"You're suffering and all you can think about is a dueling tournament?" Quinton couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Quattro nodded.

"Quattro, have you lost your mind?" Quinton demanded.

"I have to go and I have to win," the younger Arclight insisted, rubbing his crimson eyes sleepily. "If I win…maybe then...our father will come back…our real father…"

"Quattro-" Quinton started.

"Then he'll see that I'm not a disappointment."

"Quattro…" his brother's words had caught Quinton completely off-guard.

Quinton said nothing. He had known that Vetrix's treatment of the three brothers had affected Quattro's state of mind more than it had Trey's or Quinton's but he had never known it to be this bad.

"Quattro, you can't get yourself too worked up," Quinton scolded gently, ignoring the guilt that was gnawing at him.

Quattro said nothing but Quinton could tell that the tone of his voice had helped to put his younger brother at ease.

"I'm sorry," Quinton whispered, placing Quattro's blankets over him. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

"That's okay," Quattro whispered tiredly. "It's worth it if Father comes back…"

Quinton sighed. Since his brothers had come back home and their family was back together, in a manner, he had drilled into his brothers that everything they were doing was to get their father back.

"Quattro," he began.

"I have to go," Quattro said, pulling the covers off himself and trying to get to his feet.

"Quattro, you need to rest," Quinton was getting worried. He could hear the younger Arclight struggling to breathe,

A second later, Quattro let out a loud scream of agony and began clutching his shirt at the chest in a futile attempt to claw at his heart.

"Quattro?!"

Quinton was stunned by his brother's sudden outburst.

Quattro's eyes flew open and the seventeen-year-old Arclight began to twist and writhe in pain.

"Quattro, what is it?! What's wrong?" Quinton was beginning to lose his composure.

"H...H-heart…" Quattro gasped his voice now shaky and hoarse as he clawed even more desperately at his chest.

Quinton lifted his brother, which wasn't too difficult even though the siblings were nearly the same size.

He looked down to see that Quattro's eyes were now half open. His skin was beginning to take on a grayish tinge, alarming Quinton.

'_I have to get him to a hospital!_' the twenty-year-old duelist decided. '_And if Trey's condition continues to worsen, then I'll have no choice but to take him too. But he can never know about what's happening to Quattro. It would only do more harm. I can't let any more harm come to either of my brothers. Not after this.'_

Fears of placing a tombstone bearing Quattro's name in the cemetery began to fill Quinton's alarmed mind.

Trey opened his eyes and glanced at the clock. It was now a little after eleven thirty. He had slept for nearly four hours now.

The pinknette wondered where Quinton was but decided that he was probably looking after Quattro. After all, if Quattro was hurt, he would need Quinton as much as Trey did.

'_I just wish I could talk to Quattro and find out why he hates me now,_' Trey said to himself. '_Maybe I can ask him soon. Maybe I can get him to love me again...Maybe...'_

"How is my brother?" Quinton asked.

A few hours had passed since Quinton had brought Quattro to the hospital and finally a doctor emerged to give the eldest Arclight news on his brother's condition. And just in time. Quinton still maintained the same calm and collected attitude that he always projected, but inside he was fighting to keep from falling to his knees and crying out. But he couldn't allow himself to fall apart. He had to be strong. For Quattro. His little brother's life could be hanging by a thread.

The doctor sighed. He had delivered plenty of bad news to a great number of hopeful family members for years, but that still didn't make it any easier whenever he saw a husband or wife crumble from the devastating blow or whenever he heard some poor innocent child cry when they found out that someone they loved was never leaving the hospital. And now, seeing the worried young man standing in front of him only added to the count.

"I'm afraid that your younger brother has contracted severe myocarditis," he said after a few moments.

Quinton said nothing. He knew that myocarditis was an inflammation of the heart muscle. Now it all made sense, Quattro's struggling to breathe, the pain Quattro had felt in his chest, his suddenly submissive and fatigued demeanor.

At first Quinton wasn't sure how his brother could have ever contracted this affliction. But then it hit him, when Quattro slashed his arms open, Quinton hadn't had the chance to treat them properly. That must have allowed infection to set in. Quinton knew that when a person developed an infection in the body whether it was internal or external

Of course this only made Quinton feel guilty once again. How could he have not noticed the warning symptoms? How could he have missed the signs? Quattro could have actually died!

'_Quattro is my little brother!'_ Quinton screamed to himself. '_Even if our relationship isn't the best, I still love him and I don't want to lose him!'_

'_You didn't seem to think about that when you were constantly ignoring him,_' taunted a voice that Quinton thought sounded frighteningly similar to that of Vetrix and so did the sinister giggle that followed.

'_Think, Quinton,_' the voice went on. '_Think of all those times that you were in the same room as your brothers and not once did you speak to either of them unless it was to give them an order. Sometimes you couldn't even be bothered to look at them._'

'_Stop reminding me!_' Quinton's voice replied.

'_So tell me, why do you suddenly care about Quattro's well-being now?' the voice mocked. 'Do you truly regret the way that things have been between the two of you? Or do you just not want any of this to weigh heavy on your conscience when Quattro passes on?_'

As the question lingered in his mind, the image of the tombstone bearing the name of his brother once again loomed in Quinton's mind. Was it an omen? Was Quattro going to die?

...

...

So, how was this new chapter? Does anyone believe that it topped the last one? And do any of you think there's any possible way that this one can be topped? If you think so, let me know, everyone.

Also, if there's anything any of you would like to see written in here, feel free to PM me and make a request (Again, within reason of course) and I'll see what I can come up with.

And the next, brand new, angst-filled chapter will be out on Saturday, November 1st.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Well, here is chapter 9. Thank you to DanuTalisIsles, akiza Blackmore, Riptide449, Guest, Durbe the Barian, Anonymous, Empress Margaret, and ShadowGirl for the reviews on chapter 8. I hope you all like the brand new chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, Shin Yoshida does.

**_WARNING:_** The later part of this new chapter contains a great deal of blood, violence, child abuse, and torture. Tearjerkers and methods of torture can be found here and there throughout the many, many paragraphs of this brand new Arclight Angst-filled piece. You have all been warned. Also, those with weak constitutions and those who are prone to bouts of hysterical weeping are advised to keep a good supply of tissues nearby. **You have all been warned**.

...

Quattro stirred slightly and opened his eyes to find himself in a white room, lying in a bed.

"Quattro…"

The red-and-yellow-haired Gimmick Puppet duelist saw Quinton sitting beside his bed, looking worried.

"You're awake," the older Arclight whispered.

Quattro groaned.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked tiredly.

"About five hours," Quinton answered.

"What's…what's wrong with me?" Quattro questioned. "Oh…wait…I remember now…"

Yes, he remembered that he was in the hospital.

"You need to rest," Quinton said. "We can talk more a little later. For now, you really need to get some sleep. You had a rough two days, little brother."

"I'm not little," Quattro huffed. "But fine, I guess a little sleep won't kill me."

"No, it won't," Quinton replied.

That's when Quinton noticed that Quattro was moving his hand around the side of his bed, as if he were looking for something.

Quinton slid his hand onto the bed, saying nothing.

A second later, Quattro's hand found that of his brother and within minutes, the middle Arclight was fast asleep, a look of peace on his face.

This only added to the guilt that Quinton could feel growing in his heart.

...

A few days passed and Quinton hadn't seen much of Trey. But he had been spending the time with Quattro in an attempt to heal their broken relationship. But that also proved to be a challenge as over the course of the four days, Quattro had mostly slept, but the doctors had assured Quinton that that was natural after the trauma he had endured with his heart. And Trey had seemed rather distant himself. Quinton would have to find out why.

Suddenly, Quattro yawned and slowly opened his scarlet eyes.

"Hey, Quinton," the seventeen-year-old Arclight whispered tiredly.

"How are you feeling?" Quinton asked his brother.

Quattro shrugged.

Quinton couldn't think of anything to say. Neither could Quattro, which for him pretty much never happened.

"I guess Vetrix isn't happy with me is he?" Quattro asked.

Quinton sighed.

"He...hasn't really noticed that you are away..." the silver-haired Arclight said after a few minutes.

Quattro sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Probably so wrapped up in his stupid cartoons and all the plans for how we're getting revenge to notice," the scar-faced teen snorted. "Not that he cares anyway. As long as we gather Numbers, he ignores us."

"Speaking of Numbers," Quinton began. "Those boys that attacked Trey-"

"They didn't take his Numbers," Quattro cut him off. "I already asked him and I checked. They're back in his room."

"Good," Quinton said. "If he lost those..."

"I know," Quattro said.

"I...I'm sorry..." Quinton whispered.

"For what?" Quattro asked.

"For always being so wrapped up in Vetrix," Quinton explained, placing a hand on his younger brother's stomach.

Quattro winced.

"Sorry!" Quinton gasped when he realized what had caused his sibling to wince.

"It's...okay..." Quattro whispered. "I'm just...a little sore..."

"I would think so," Quinton nodded. "After..."

Quattro yawned, interrupting Quinton, who smiled slightly.

"Quattro, you're tired," the twenty-year-old wielder of Dyson Sphere told his younger brother. "You need to get some sleep. Then you'll recover faster."

"The faster I recover, the faster I can go back home," Quattro sighed.

Quinton nodded again.

Without another word, Quattro closed his eyes slowly, laid his head back down on to his pillow and within minutes, the seventeen-year-old wielder of the Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder was fast asleep.

Quinton pulled his brother's blankets up to his chin. And then, the eldest Arclight brother did something that he hadn't done in years, something that surprised him: he found himself parting Quattro's tawny bangs and placing a kiss on his brother's forehead.

"Get well soon, Quattro," he whispered as he felt his own eyelids growing heavy.

The last few days had taken a heavy toll on Quinton. And something told him that the days to come would take even more of a toll on him.

...

Quattro's eyes slowly opened.

"Hey, Quinton," he yawned.

"Are you feeling better?" Quinton asked him.

Quattro shrugged in response.

"Are you hungry at all or thirsty?"

Quinton knew that if Quattro had been feeling like himself he would have berated his brother for allowing himself to do away with his usually indifferent behavior. But right now, his brother was in a vulnerable state and needed him more than ever. Both of Quinton's younger brothers needed him, but Trey was too frightened to even be near his oldest brother. So Quinton had returned to Quattro's side. After all, it would be better than him simply sitting home, especially when he could take this time to reconcile with Quattro.

"Are you hungry or thirsty, Quattro?" he asked again.

"I'm a little thirsty," the younger Arclight brother whispered.

Quinton grabbed the cup and pitcher of water on the table beside Quattro's hospital bed.

After filling the cup, Quinton helped his brother sit up and held the cup to Quattro's mouth.

Quattro gulped down the water desperately.

"Thanks," he sighed after emptying the cup.

Quinton smiled slightly and helped his sibling lay back down.

Quattro rubbed his eyes sleepily, reminding Quinton of one night when he was ten years old.

(Flashback)

Christopher Arclight had just about fallen asleep when he heard footsteps coming toward his bed. Not heavy ones like his father's.

He opened his cerulean eyes to see his younger brother Thomas staring down at him.

"What's going on?" Chris asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I…had a bad dream," Thomas whispered. "Can I sleep in here with you? Please?"

One look into his brother's ruby-colored eyes and the older Arclight couldn't say no.

"Okay, here," he said, scooting over and pulling open the covers.

Thomas smiled and climbed into bed beside his older brother.

"Thanks, Chris," he whispered, snuggling close to Chris.

"No problem, little brother," Chris said, placing a protective arm around Thomas. "I'll always be there for you."

Thomas smiled, his eyes filled with adoration for his big brother.

Within minutes, the seven-year-old fell asleep, feeling safe and warm in the arms of his older sibling.

(Flashback ends)

'_I'll always be there for you,_' Quinton had said.

'_I've really been there for him, haven't I?_' the silver-haired Arclight snorted to himself bitterly.

'_Well at least you're here for him now,_' his conscience said, trying to ease his guilt. '_That's what important_.'

...

"The doctor says you can go home soon," Quinton told Quattro a few evenings later.

"Great," Quattro smiled slightly. "Hey, Quinton...I need to ask you something..."

"Anything," Quinton said.

"Can you bring me something to eat?" Quattro asked. "This hospital food is killing me."

"Of course," Quinton fought the urge to laugh as he stood up. "I'll be back soon."

Quattro closed his eyes and pulled his blankets up to his chin as his brother exited his room.

Quinton decided to stop in and check on Trey before he got food for Quattro.

'_I haven't seen him in days_,' the eldest Arclight brother realized. '_I hope he doesn't think I abandoned him_.'

...

"Quinton, please stop!"

"SHUT UP!"

Trey was brutally shoved onto his bed and landed in a heap on top of the now messy covers. Although his landing was soft, he still couldn't help but yelp in pain as his new wounds sent burning pain surging through his weak and broken body.

He laid there, his pale skin marred by numerous cuts and bruises as a result of his oldest brother's unmerciful punishments. His pink curls were now tinted with red, and his stomach hurt as he laid on it, most likely a broken rib or two.

"Are you scared little brother?" hissed Quinton's cold voice. Just to here that dark voice tore poor Trey apart, it only meant pain.

The teenage pinknette nodded his head weakly before a horrific chill ran down his spine. Claw like fingers grabbed onto his shoulder and forced Trey to lie on his back.

Trey stared up at the face that had once comforted him but now frightened and haunted him.

Quinton's long, silver hair fell down by his face, shrouding most of it in the shadows, but only enough to hide the smirk climbing his lips.

"I asked you a question!" the oldest of the Arclight Brothers was growing impatient as he leered down at his sick and weak brother.

Trey nodded once again, not daring to break eye contact with his brother.

"Y-yes…" he squeaked.

A second later, the pink-haired duelist's cheek burned and he wanted to cover it with his hands, but was too afraid to move. Tears welled in his eyes when he realized that his brother had struck him. Quinton never raised his hand to his brothers! But then, there were a lot of things that he hadn't done before that he was doing now. And it all terrified poor Trey.

'_Has he been torturing Quattro too?!_' Trey's mind was frantic.

He winced as Quinton's nails dug deeper into his skin.

"Scream," Quinton whispered.

"W-what….?" Trey dared speak.

"SCREAM!" Quinton commanded, slashing across Trey's already abused stomach. "_SCREAM, DAMN IT! SCREAM YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE BRAT!_"

Unable to hold in his agony any longer, Trey let out a ear shattering scream. He arched his back and threw back his head, the unbearable pain spreading through his damaged body like a wildfire. Quinton just smirked in pleasure, enjoying the wails of his brother.

"That's more like it," he chuckled darkly as he once again raked his hands across Trey's stomach, bringing forth even more blood.

"P-please..." Trey whimpered, tears falling from his eyes. "Please...Quinton...you're my big brother...you're supposed to protect me...not...h-hurt me..."

Quinton growled and raised his fist.

"Brace yourself, Trey," he whispered coldly. "Because what's coming will make your previous punishments seem like nothing more than a series of love taps."

Trey whimpered and tried his best to prepare for the pain that was coming without a doubt.

...

Trey winced as he attempted to crawl away from Quinton. But due to his right arm and both hands being broken, his only chance was to use his elbows.

Quinton growled and grabbed the young boy by his hair and yanked him back onto the bed.

Trey wanted to call for help, but he knew that no one would come. Vetrix was most likely watching his cartoons as usual, Quattro was nowhere to be found, and even so neither of them would have come anyway. Vetrix wasn't interested in anything that didn't have to do with getting revenge on Dr. Faker and Quattro had made it clear that he hated Trey.

'_Quinton hates me too now,_' Trey bit his lip, drawing blood. '_The family I knew and loved is gone forever now…my brothers and my father don't love me anymore…they hate each other too…my family is gone…_'

The pinknette couldn't stop the tears from falling from his eyes. He hoped that maybe the tears would stir some sympathy inside his eldest brother's heart and maybe then Quinton would end the torture that he had forced Trey to endure for the last hour.

But no, suddenly, Quinton whipped out a knife.

"Now the real fun begins," he whispered.

...

...

So, how was it? Let me know.

The next chapter will be out on Friday, November 7th.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I apologize for the day late update, I've been extremely busy and the fact that I have a million more things to do in November and December all back to back only makes it worse, but here's the update as promised, better a day late than never. Thanks to Anonymous, Riptide449, ShadowGirl, DanuTaliIsles, big fan, akiza blackmore, ChoukoLightSpirit, MidnightBlue101, VioletErin.26, and Durbe the Barian for all the awesome reviews. I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, Shin Yoshida.

_**WARNING: More blood, more child violence, and of course some scorching Arclight Angst. Enjoy and keep tissues on hand. Oh, and before I forget, I will not take any responsibility for any emotional attacks, read at your own risk.**_

...

If his fingers hadn't been encased in splints, Trey would have most likely reduced them to bloody stubs. He couldn't help himself. He was nervous and had been since his eldest brother Quinton had given him a beating so severe, Trey had been knocked unconscious.

The fifteen-year-old didn't know what he had done to make Quinton so angry with him and it frightened him.

Suddenly, the bedroom door flew open and in stormed Quinton, his face livid.

"Brother," Trey whispered. "Please forgive me...I didn't mean to make you so angry.

The fifteen-year-old Arclight groaned as his older brother buried his fist in the pink-haired duelist's stomach, causing him to release all of the contents of his queasy stomach.

"Qu…Quin…ton…" Trey wheezed.

"You should have told kept your mouth shut," Quinton growled. "Then you wouldn't have to face your discipline this way."

...

Trey moaned softly.

Quinton had finished with him an hour ago, but was bound to return any minute now.

He had woken up to find himself lying in bed again. But how could that have happened? Quinton had left him on the floor so he would suffer and freeze.

Suddenly, the door opened and in walked Quinton.

"Trey?"

Trey flinched when he heard the older Number Hunter say his name. He looked up to see that his brother was looking down at him, but the evil smirk he had worn earlier was gone now and had been replaced by a look of concern.

"N-no!" Trey whimpered as his brother reached for him.

Scared and disoriented, Trey tried to crawl away and fell out of bed, yelping in pain as he hit the ground.

"Trey?" Quinton sounded even more worried, but Trey knew it was a trick. It had to be a trick!

"No!" Trey crawled behind his bed, well aware of his brother's approaching footsteps.

"Trey, what are you doing?" Quinton demanded.

Trey couldn't keep it in. The pinknette panted and vomited.

"Trey!" Quinton exclaimed.

"I'm sorry!" Trey squeaked. "I didn't mean to do it! I…I'll clean it up! Please don't be mad! I promise I won't do it again! **Please, big brother don't be mad at me!**"

"Trey, I don't want you to-" Quinton started as he came closer to his baby brother. "I'm not mad at you...Trey-"

"No!" Trey crawled away, accidentally putting pressure on his broken arm, causing him to fall to the floor and let out a soft cry of pain.

"Trey, I'm trying to help," Quinton whispered.

"No!" Trey didn't seem to hear the silver-haired Arclight. "Please don't do this! Don't beat me again!"

"W-what?" Quinton was taken aback by his brother's outburst.

"Don't beat me! Don't beat me again, Quinton! Please don't beat me!"

Trey curled up at the foot of his bed and began to cry.

"It's alright, Trey," Quinton whispered gently, reaching his hand out to pat Trey. Trey's mind had without a doubt been twisted by the events of the past few days and he needed his brother to be there for him, to be able to let him know that in the end, things would be alright.

The fifteen-year-old suddenly turned away and began to shake.

"Trey, what's wrong?"

Trey didn't respond. Quinton heard him sniffle softly, muttering to himself.

"Trey, I want to help you," Quinton told his brother. "But I can't if you won't let me."

"Y-you don't love me anymore!" Trey burst into tears.

"Yes I do!" Quinton said, hugging his brother close to him. "I swear I do, Trey."

Trey struggled but couldn't get loose without hurting himself.

Once again, the image of a tombstone bearing Quattro's name flashed in Quinton's mind. And now, fears of placing a second tombstone with Trey's name etched on it beside it appeared in Quinton's now frantic mind. He had to do something.

...

Quattro laid in his bed, fast asleep. Beside him sat Quinton who had placed the younger brother's head in his lap and was now stroking Quattro's dark red and yellow hair gently.

Quattro stirred slightly and moved closer to his older brother, still fast asleep.

Quinton smiled ever so slightly. The silver-haired Number Hunter knew that Quattro was only behaving this way because he was out of it. When he recovered and got back to his old self, the younger Arclight either wouldn't remember this or he would pretend that he didn't remember.

But for now, all that mattered to Quinton was that he had this time with his younger brother. It wasn't much, but it felt like a step in the right direction.

He had brought Trey to the hospital not long ago, fearing for his brother's psychological well-being, and left the pinknette to the doctors while he went to visit Quattro.

That reminded him now that Quattro was sleeping again, he needed to go see how Trey was doing.

...

"I want Quinton," Trey had whispered to one of the nurses as she helped him to bed. Due to the great emotional trauma the boy had suffered, the doctors had insisted that he stay the night. "I want my big brother."

"You need to rest," the nurse, a blonde woman with brown doe-like eyes, told him as she patted his`. "You'll see your big brother later."

"No," Trey pleaded desperately. "Please…I want my brother…"

At first the Chronomoly duelist had no idea why he wanted to see Quinton so badly, but then he realized who it was that had beaten him in his room...it wasn't Quinton...

'It never even happened,' he realized. 'It was all just a horrible dream...Quinton never did any of that to me...it was all just a nightmare...'

He didn't have much time to think on it since soon after, Quinton came into the room.

When he saw his youngest brother in this state, something inside Quinton snapped. The silver-haired Arclight walked over to the pinknette's side and wrapped his arms around him gently. Trey said nothing but dependently leaned into his brother's embrace. He had been traumatized and now needed all the comfort he could get. He also felt a twinge of guilt for thinking that the brother that was holding him now could have ever tried to harm him.

"Quinton…" he whispered tiredly. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it," Quinton replied.

"No," Trey couldn't keep quiet. "I didn't realize...I should've known...I'm sorry..."

Quinton placed his hand on top of Trey's chest and the latter fell silent.

"I know you were just afraid...and due to everything that's happened, I can't blame you," his brother told him. "I promise I'm not angry or upset with you."

...

After Trey fell asleep, as much as Quinton wanted to stay with his youngest sibling, he knew that now he would have to go check on Quattro. That was the only hard part about them both being in the condition that they were in.

...

Darkness was his worst enemy. He had been temporarily blinded for several weeks when his right eye had been damaged and the doctors had bandaged his left eye to keep any strain off it. Unfortunately this had led to them having to perform surgery on both of his eyes in order to keep him from going blind.

And now, Quattro found himself in the arms of darkness once again.

He knew that he was asleep and that he would have to put a great deal of effort into waking up again. He felt almost as if he was floating in a place of complete darkness, all alone. He wasn't particularly bothered by it, in fact he actually enjoyed the solitude somewhat and he also took pleasure in the fact that he was able to rest, but he knew that he would have to wake up eventually. If he didn't Quinton would be worried about him, he knew that already.

In a sense, it was actually kind of nice to have his brother worry about him after the way things had been between them lately. It showed the red-and-yellow-haired duelist that Quinton cared.

In this world within his own mind, Quattro couldn't see anything but the dark but he could hear everything that was going on around his body in the real world. He heard the doctors talking to his older brother about the condition of his heart. And now, he could hear his sibling whispering a soft reassurance to him as he sat at his bedside. He was promising to stay by the middle Arclight's side until he woke.

The red-and-yellow-haired teenager began concentrating fiercely and before long he was able to open his eyes.

"Quattro?"

The younger of the two nodded his head weakly and awkwardly before forcing himself to sit up.

"Let me help," Quinton urged.

After he was able to sit propped on his pillow, Quattro looked up at his brother tiredly before touching his arm in gratitude.

Quinton wrapped one arm around his shoulders and squeezed lightly in response.

Quattro smiled slightly. He hadn't done that since he was a child, before he and Trey had been taken away and their family was torn apart.

Quinton couldn't help but smile back.

Quattro yawned softly and rubbed his scarlet eyes tiredly.

"I'm going back to sleep," he sighed.

Quinton nodded.

"I'm going to check on Trey," the silver-haired Arclight said.

He had just risen to his feet when he felt Quattro take hold of his arm. He looked down to see that Quattro was clinging to his left arm. It was obvious that his proud younger brother still had trouble asking for any help and it was even more obvious that it was even more difficult for the Gimmick Puppet duelist to admit that he was in pain.

Quinton sat down on the side of the bed and felt his heart plummet as Quattro leaned over and rested his head against his older brother's side.

He was about to say something when he heard a soft snore and realized immediately that Quattro had fallen asleep.

He still felt a need to check on Trey. After all, the doctors had said that he was still recovering from the pneumonia he had been hit by and Quinton didn't want anything else to happen to either one of his brothers if there was a chance that he could stop it.

So, after laying Quattro's head on his pillow and covering him up, Quinton headed back to Trey's room.

...

When he reached his youngest brother's room, Quinton was relieved to see that the pinknette was sleeping peacefully.

Suddenly, Trey groaned in his sleep and began to squirm.

Quinton sighed. Nightmares seemed to take Trey captive almost every night now. There had been times that he would come in to check on his youngest brother only to find the pinknette thrashing about in his sleep. It was those tender moments when Quinton would gently shake his brother awake and gather him in his arms. The ferocious nightmares that plagued the youngest Arclight brother were only put to rest when Trey was held. It would take a few minutes for Trey to calm down, but after a while his breath would go back to normal and Quinton would lay him back down and stay beside him until he fell asleep.

Trey sniffled as he leaned against Quinton. The elder Arclight said nothing. But it was then that he became aware of just how badly Trey was shivering. He held his little brother tightly.

Then, just as quickly as Trey had gotten himself worked up, he began to calm himself.

Quinton smiled slightly. Maybe tonight would be better for Trey.

"No!" he heard Quattro shout from his room across the hall.

Fearing that further harm would come to his brother, Quinton raced to Quattro's room.

The last few days that Quattro had been in the hospital had made Quinton realize just how much his little brother really meant to him. He hated seeing Quattro in pain and he hadn't taken kindly to the recurring nightmares that seemed to take Quattro captive at night as well.

The silver-haired Arclight had found himself constantly waking Quattro from ferocious nightmares. Quattro never told Quinton what they were about and Quinton didn't ask, worried that if he did, it would make them worse for Quattro.

...

Quinton opened his eyes slowly. Funny, he hadn't even realized that he'd fallen asleep. He also noticed that his younger brother had been eerily quiet.

"Quattro?"

The younger Arclight didn't respond. That's when Quinton noticed that his brother's chest wasn't moving.

_'Oh no_,' the eldest Arclight gasped. _'He's passed away…he died while I was asleep…'_

Quinton grasped his brother's hand and looked down at the floor, his hair falling around him, hiding his face in a curtain of silver.

_'How could I have…'_

Suddenly, Quattro stirred and groaned in his sleep, no doubt trapped in the grasp of another nightmare.

Quinton sighed in relief as he saw the slow, steady rise and fall of his sibling's chest.

That's when Quattro began to shake and thrash wildly.

Quinton gently grabbed Quattro's wrist to stop his thrashing.

"Quattro, it's alright," he whispered softly. "I'm here. You're safe now."

...

...

So, what did everyone think? Let me know.

And the new chapter will be out on Wednesday, November 19th.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Here's chapter 11. Sorry it's a few hours later than originally planned. I'm on vacation with my family, so that kind of hung the chapter up just a little bit. But thanks to VioletErin.26, Riptide449, DanuTalisIsles, Guest, and Akiza Blackmore for the reviews on the previous chapter. And now without further ado, I hope everyone enjoys this brand new chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, Shin Yoshida does.

...

Quinton hugged Trey gently as the younger Arclight sobbed. Another nightmare had taken hold of him and the pinknette had woken up screaming and crying.

"It's alright," Quinton whispered, running his hand along his brother's back in soothing circles. "It was just a dream, Trey."

"It...it just seemed so real..." Trey sniffled.

"I know," Quinton replied. "But you have to remember things in dreams can't actually hurt you."

"You're right," Trey wiped his eyes with his forearm.

"It's going to be alright, Trey," Quinton promised his brother.

After about ten minutes, Trey ceased crying and laid in Quinton's arms.

"Go to sleep, little brother," the silver-haired Arclight whispered.

Trey slowly closed his eyes and drifted off.

Quinton buried his face in his sibling's pink curls and kissed his head.

Trey smiled in his sleepand snuggled into his blankets.

Quinton stroked his hair and sat beside him.

After a while, the silver-haired Arclight stood up and headed across the hall to Quattro's room. It was times like this that made the eldest of the Arclight brothers wish he could be in two places at once. That way he could watch over and care for both of his younger brothers.

As he entered Quattro's room, he saw his other younger brother lying on his back with his covers pulled up to his chin. Just the way Quinton had left him. Normally Quattro tossed and turned in his sleep. He had always been a little restless at night, hence his tendency to stay up late and when he did sleep, Quinton would come in to check on him and find him sprawled across the bed.

It was then that Quinton noticed that his brother's face was covered with sweat.

Quinton reached for the rag floating in the bowl of water by his brother's bed, rung it out, and began wiping Quattro's face.

Suddenly, Quattro's eyes slowly opened.

"Quattro..." Quinton was caught off guard. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No," Quattro rubbed his eyes and stared groggily at his brother.

"Quinton..."

"Yes, Quattro?"

"If it's not too much trouble..." Quattro sounded exhausted. "Could I...maybe lie in your lap?"

Quinton was surprised but obliged nonetheless.

Quattro closed his eyes as his head was placed on to Quinton's lap.

"Is that better, brother?" Quinton asked.

"Yes..." Quattro answered, his eyes still closed. "Much better, Aniki."

Quinton still couldn't get over his brother calling him Aniki again after all these years.

Quinton's hand found its' way into the thick, matted dark red hair and his fingers began combing through it gently.

Quattro sighed and turned his head to face Quinton's stomach.

"This feels good," the red-and-yellow-haired duelist whispered.

Quinton smiled slightly.

...

Two hours passed before Quinton left Quattro's side and returned to Trey's.

Trey slowly opened his eyes to see that his oldest brother was sleeping beside his bed, his head bowed and his hands in his lap and he snoozed in the chair.

"Quinton, " Trey whispered.

Quinton's dark blue eyes blinked and landed on his brother.

"I'm right here," he said.

"I'm glad," Trey smiled.

Quinton smiled back and held his brother against his chest.

"Is Quattro alright? " Trey asked, sounding worried.

"He's doing fine," Quinton said. He had decided to tell Trey and ease any potential distress rather than keep him in the dark about Quattro's condition.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, I checked on him not too long ago."

At this, Trey looked relieved and allowed himself to fall into his brother's arms.

"Go to sleep, little brother," Quinton told him.

Trey nodded tiredly and slowly drifted off.

Quinton laid him back in bed and covered his small body with a blanket before going back to sleep himself.

...

...

So, how was it? Let me know, everyone.

And the next chapter will be out on Monday, December 1st.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Well, here is chapter 12. Thank you to ChoukoLightSpirit, Anonymous, DanuTalisIsles, and Durbe the Barian for the previous reviews. I hope you all enjoy the brand new chapter.

Disclaimer: Even after all this time, I am still not Shin Yoshida and I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal but I'm living it up on a plane right now.

...

The days passed and Quinton was beginning to see a steady improvement in both of his brothers. Trey seemed to be returning to the sweet and fairly happy boy that he had been before all of this mess. And as for Quattro, he seemed to be getting stronger but he still got tired more easily and slept more often than before.

Quinton still worried for his brothers but was pleased that they were doing better. Though it hung in the back of his mind that sometimes people improved before they passed on. No, that couldn't happen to his brothers. It couldn't, not if he could help it.

Quattro yawned and opened his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Quinton asked.

"Ugh...Tired...and a little sore..." Quattro answered, his hand on his stomach. "But I'll live."

"I know you will," Quinton smiled slightly.

"How's Trey been?" Quattro asked his older brother. He missed his little brother and still felt guilty for hurting him and still had not had the chance to apologize for it and wanted to do so as soon as he possibly could.

"He's better and I'll let you see him when you're better," Quinton promised.

Quattro couldn't help but grin slightly before putting his arms around his brother.

It felt so strange but welcome to Quinton to have his brother's arms around him in a hug, something the two hadn't done in some time.

...

Trey sighed and curled up in his bed, smiling as he saw his eldest brother lying beside his bed, fast asleep. It made perfect sense since the silver-haired Arclight had spent the entire day and night, not to mention the night before, making sure that both of his brothers were comfortable.

"I love you, big brother," Trey whispered, unshed tears glistening in his emerald eyes.

Quinton lifted his head up and smiled at Trey, reaching out his hand, and stroking his youngest brother's pink curls.

"I love you too, little brother."

...

...

So, how was it? Let me know, everyone.

And the next chapter will be out on Wednesday, December 17th.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Here is chapter 13. Thank you to VioletErin.26, Riptide449, Anonymous, Durbe the Barian, Mtvlion2003, Guest, Akiza Blackmore, and Guest for all of the reviews on chapter 12. I hope everyone thoroughly enjoys this brand new chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, Shin Yoshida does.

...

Quinton wrapped the blankets around Trey as the younger boy curled up before he yawned and decided to lay on his back.

"I feel a lot better now," the pinknette informed his brother.

"I'm glad Quinton smiled slightly.

"Fine," Quinton answered quickly, placing a comforting hand on Trey's chest. "He's doing just fine. He's worried about you though."

"So, he doesn't hate me?" Trey lit up.

Quinton nodded.

Trey sighed and laid back. This news had definitely made him feel even better. His brothers did love him, both of them.

...

Quattro stirred and opened his eyes. Quinton wasn't sitting beside his bed for once. The scar-faced teen knew it was highly likely that his brother was tending to their younger brother now, which was fine with him. Quattro was beginning to get stronger and he knew that his little brother needed someone there for him too so it only made sense that Quinton would go to him now.

Quattro heard the door open and saw his nurse come in.

"Time for your medication, dear," she said, holding up a syringe.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Quattro huffed, offering up his arm.

The seventeen-year-old didn't even wince as the needle penetrated his flesh. This was nothing compared to the rest of the pain he had faced in his young life.

After the nurse left, Quattro sighed and stretched out on his bed, suddenly worn out.

Soon after, the red-and-yellow-haired duelist drifted off into a fitful sleep.

...

Trey smiled as Quinton ran a hand through his curly bangs.

"I thought you didn't love me anymore," the pink-haired boy confessed.

"I never meant to make you think that," Quinton smiled weakly. "You or Quattro."

Trey said nothing. He knew his oldest brother was still thinking about the fight he and Quattro had been in not long ago. The fight where Quattro had yelled at Quinton that he hated him.

"He doesn't still hate you, does he?" the fifteen-year-old asked.

Quinton shook his head.

"We talked the other day," the silver-haired Number Hunter explained to his youngest brother. "It's alright now."

"What's wrong with Quattro?" Trey asked. "Please tell me truth."

Quinton sighed. He didn't want to trouble the younger boy about their brother's condition, but he also knew that Trey had a right to know.

"The doctors said that he had something wrong with his heart," he told his brother.

"Is he alright?" Trey looked worried.

"He's fine," Quinton said quickly. "He's doing fine. He should be able to come home soon."

"Are you sure he's alright?" Trey didn't want anything to happen to his brother.

"I'm sure," Quinton answered. "Don't worry, Trey."

"I'll try," Trey smiled weakly before curling up and once again falling asleep..

...

...

So, what did everyone think? Feel free to let me know.

And the next chapter will be out on Tuesday, December 23rd, which, in unrelated news, just happens to be a certain someone's birthday.

And tomorrow morning a new fanfic starring the Arclights, will be posted.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Alright, here is chapter 14. Thank you to Riptide449, Durbe the Barian, Guest, Kujaku-Lianne Iceshard, Akiza Blackmore, and DanuTalisIsles for all the reviews on chapter 13. Enjoy this brand new chapter, everyone.

Disclaimer: I am not Shin Yoshida, so I have absolutely no claim on Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters.

...

Quattro yawned and stretched before bringing his head down to rest on his arms as he stared up at the ceiling. He was supposed to be released later this afternoon. Quinton was to pick him up and bring him back home.

Home...the hotel he, his brothers, and Vetrix were staying at. That wasn't home. It was merely a base of operations. But where else could they call home? Their old home was gone, in the possession of someone else.

Oh well, there was no use in dwelling on the past. Not when there were still Numbers out there, just waiting to be gathered.

But for the time being, all the middle Arclight was worried about was his own health and especially that of his younger brother. Quinton had assured him that their little brother was doing better each day and soon would be well again.

Quattro himself was also recovering steadily. Things seemed to be going a little better for the once happy family.

...

Quinton entered his own room and went straight for the bed. He then pulled the mattress aside and reached for a box. This box was the size of an average pillow and something Quinton and he alone knew about. This box held Quinton secret treasures.

Slowly, the silver-haired Arclight pulled out each object that rested in the box. First, an old-fashioned looking journal bound in pale blue leather and silver gilded accents and written in curly, silver script was Quinton's true name: Christopher. The beautiful book had been a Christmas gift from Trey.

Next, he pulled out a Mechanical Dragon Duel Monsters cards. Quattro had given the card to him for his sixteenth birthday, shortly after the eldest had taught his younger brothers how to duel.

"It's just my way of saying...you know...thanks," he had said as he handed the small box holding the card to his brother.

Chris then pulled out a silver chain that held a pendant of light blue topaz. Chris's birthstone. Chris's birthday was on December 21st, the beginning of the Winter Solstice his father had often pointed out. The pendant had been a gift from his mother long ago, right before Michael was born, right before she passed away.

Knowing that he was alone, Quinton pressed his lips to the pendant in memory of his mother.

And finally, the long-haired Number Hunter pulled out a picture of his father, his brothers, and himself. Back when they were all happy and together. There was little chance of them ever being that way again.

Sadly, Quinton placed each of his little treasures back into the box and placing it back where he had gotten it before putting the mattress back where it belonged.

Quinton sighed, got to his feet, and headed for the door. It was time for him to bring Trey his tea and medication.

...

...

So, how was this new chapter? Let me know, everyone.

The next chapter will be out on Monday, December 29th. Merry Christmas, everyone.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Here is chapter 15 and I regret to inform you that this will be the last chapter of this story. Thank you to Guest, Anonymous, Akiza Blackmore, Durbe the Barian, Kujaku-Lianne, and ChoukoLightSpirit for all the reviews on chapter 14. Also, an additional thanks to Quintonchess for the additional review on chapter 13. I hope you all enjoy this brand new and final chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, Shin Yoshida does.

...

Trey laid in his bed, staring out the window at the stars. It was nearly midnight and the only light coming from the full moon.

A few months had passed and Trey and Quattro had recovered from their respective ordeals.

Quinton had become less aloof and more caring toward his younger brothers, just like he used to be when they were children.

Sometimes Trey still suffered nightmares. Sometimes Quattro did too. But Quinton was always there to talk to them and help them feel a little bit better.

Trey knew his family would never really go back to the exact way they were before, but seeing his brothers act less hostile toward one another and himself, it showed him that there was still hope for them. Despite all of them having suffered so much emotionally and even physically in some cases, they weren't entirely broken and neither was their chance to become a real family again.

...

...

So, I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed this final chapter, despite it being so short.

But no one fret, just because this story ended doesn't mean there isn't still plenty of Arclight Angst. There will be more coming soon to a fanfiction page near you.


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